


Soulmates

by JustAnotherFaggot, Tabathie



Series: Taba and Faggot's Bullshittery. [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Anxiety, Depression, F/M, Fun mental health issues for the whole family!, Hey what's going here?, Jin belongs to Faggotboy, Jin is a fucking idiot, Kat belongs to Taba, Mention of Sansy, My god have mercy on my soul, Nightmares, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Set in Undertale universe, WHY AM I SHIPPING MY BABY WITH MY FRIEND'S BABY?, XD, but like he doesn't appear, i'm just as confused as you are, just a lil mention, kinda goes along with Coffee and Art, send help, what
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2018-12-23 04:55:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 111,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11982594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustAnotherFaggot/pseuds/JustAnotherFaggot, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabathie/pseuds/Tabathie
Summary: WE DUNNO WHAT THIS BULL IS! EY! READ IT IF YOU WANNA LAUGH MAYBE! I DUNNO!Maybe this'll be a series of random shit we do together. Who knows?





	1. Do You Wanna Build a Ship?

**Author's Note:**

> Kat and Logan belong to Taba!
> 
> Jin belongs to Faggot! (tho Taba writes him better)

I look at from my finished painting, letting out a soft huff of pride. Then I look at the clock and feel panic seize my heart. “FUCK ME IN THE ASS!” I screech.

I stumble over my chair, falling onto my face before standing back up and grabbing some clothes. I run to the bathroom and scrub my hands clean before throwing on the clothes.

Rushing past my brother’s room I hear him cackling. “SHUT THE FUCK UP LOGAN!”

“THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR TRYNNA GO ON A BLIND DATE WITH A GUY I WANNA FUCK!” Logan yells.

“OI! IMMA ROMANCE THE FUCK OUTTA HIM! TAKE CARE OF THE HOUSE, CUNT!” I yell up at his room before grabbing some shoes and slamming the front door closed.

I pull on my shoes as I unlock my car and hop in. I throw my purse onto the passenger's seat and buckle myself in. I pull out of the driveway and speed down the street, maybe going a bit over the speed limit.

I pull into the parking lot, swiftly sliding into the spot before turning off my car, grabbing my purse, opening my door, and trying to leave without undoing my seatbelt. I grunt in frustration before unbuckling myself and then exiting the car.

 _Oh please don’t be here. Oh please._ I scan the area outside of the coffee shop and breathe a sigh of relief. _He’s not here. Good. Good. Random white-haired guy standing by the door. I don’t think that’s him. Oh god, what if it is. We said we’d meet outside. PANIC!_

The white-haired guy looks up as if he can hear my thoughts and locks eyes with me. We stare at each other for about a minute before I walk up to him. “U-uh… H-Hi. Are you Jin?”

The man looks at me up and down. “You should be glad you’re cute, or I would’ve been rather mad that you made me stand out here for thirty minutes. I thought you stood me up.” He shoots me a cocky grin. “Oh, where are my manners? Yes, I am Jin. And I presume you’re Kat?”

My eye twitches. “You know, I could be home, painting something. Hanging out with my cats. Play video games maybe. Baking. Doing something with my life. And not dealing with assholes like you.” I cross my arms. “I have no reason to be here, if all you’re going to do is be a little bitch.”

He leans down to eye level. “My, my. You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?” My face turns red, and Jin leans back letting out a bark of laughter. “My apologies, beautiful. I meant no harm, was only joking. I’ll get you a drink, how does that sound as a compromise.”

My eyes narrow at him in annoyance. “That sounds great.” I say, my cheeks still red.

Jin shoots me a devilish grin before opening the door, motioning me to enter the building. I snort unattractively before entering the building, him following behind me. 

We get into the line and stand awkwardly. We get a few odds looks since one of us has unnatural pristine white hair and the other has unnatural garnet red hair. And I’m in a dress, one that I should’ve probably worn tights with, but they weren’t close enough to grab, and Jin in a pair of jeans, a plain black t shirt, and a jacket thrown on over his t shirt, even though it’s hot as fuck outside.

I try to ignore the looks, but since I don’t have anything else to concentrate on they kinda invade my thoughts. I intertwine my fingers together and sway in place, tapping my foot and looking around. The line moves and I feel a hand rest against the small of my back, pushing me forward gently. My gaze flicks over to Jin, who indeed has his hand on my back.

Jin keeps his gaze forward, his hand gently rubbing my back. “What do you plan on getting?”

“Mm… Probably a coffee. I’m worn out.” I say, eyeing the menu again. “Iced most likely. What about you?” I turn my gaze over to him.

He looks at me and a grin. “Can I have you?~”

My face flushes red and I smack his shoulder. “My god! We are in public. That’s not something to do in public.”

“Oh, so you’re saying that in private I can?~” His grin widens.

My face turns even redder and I cover my face, internally screaming. Jin just grins and gently pushes me forward. We get to the front of the line, but I’m still incapable of speech so Jin orders for me.

The lady behind the counter gives the two of us a knowing grin before handing us our drinks and a paper bag. I take mine and follow Jin as he walks to a table. He pulls a chair out for me to sit in and I do so, him pushing me back in. Jin sits across from me and pulls two pastries out of the paper bag, handing me one.

“So, what do you do for a living?” He asks, calmly.

I eye the pastry, my cheeks still red. “Artist… What about you?”

Jin looks up at me. “Police assistant and mechanic.” He rests his chin in his hand. “I could’ve guessed you were an artist.”

I quirk my eyebrow. “Why’s that?” I take a bite of the pastry.

It’s delicious.

“Tell-tale sign. Eyebags and dark circles from lack of sleep and most likely you overworking yourself. Plus you have yellow paint on your cheek and a bit of red on your nose.”

I groan and look at him. “Where on my cheek and nose..?”

“Left cheek up near your eye.” I move my finger to that spot. “No, move to the right a bit.” I move my finger as he sighs. “I’ll get it.”

Jin leans over the table, his face close to my own, and carefully rubs the paint off my cheek and nose. He makes eye contact and I feel my face heating up again. Jin winks before leaning back and sitting down, taking a sip of his hot cocoa. 

I pat my cheeks before drinking some of my coffee. “Mm. So, the hair. You the love child of Jack Frost and Elsa?” I ask jokingly.

Jins face twists into something akin to pain for a second before he laughs. “I wish.”

“Shit. Is that a touchy topic. Sorry, I was just trynna make a joke.” I say in a rush.

He laughs again. “No worries. It’s fine.”

“I’m going to guess your scars are probably more of a personal thing too, huh?” I ask, finishing the pastry.

He nods and eyes me. “Yep.”

We sit in silence for a moment. “Hey, thanks for the hand. Literally a figuratively.”

“What do you mean?” Jin looks up at me.

A bit if red comes to my cheeks. “Uh. In the line. When you put your hand on my back. Thanks.” I say softly, fiddling with my cup.

“Oh, that? I was just bored.” He says nonchalantly, with a shrug. “Seemed it would be fun.”

I flinch at his words, grasping my cup tighter. “Oh…” I say softly, not looking at him.

He shrugs, or I figure due to the rustling of his shirt. “Look, I’m trying to help you out. Out of boredom or for any other reason.”

I nod a bit but stay silent, sipping on my coffee. He stays silent as well. I’m staring at my coffee cup, chewing my lip. “If you keep biting your lip, I’m going to take it as an invitation to bite it for you.” Jin says, startling me.

My eyes flick up to his and then they narrow. “Bitch. Bite my lip and I’ll bite you back.”

Jin grins. “Kinky~”

My face heats up again and I reach over, going to smack his shoulder. He grabs my hand and presses it to his mouth, kissing it with a wink. I yank my hand back and huff, face redder. “You’re insufferable.”

“Thank you.” He says with a grin.

I roll my eyes at him. “So, a police assistant? You must have some form of a cool stories.”

He chuckles. “Well, none that I can tell you without the mayor getting up my ass for doing so.” I pout. “Aw, don’t make that face, you still look cute, but you look better when you’re smiling.” My face turns red and he grins. “Or when you’re blushing.”

With a huff of annoyance, I cross my arms. “Then as a mechanic do you have any interesting stories?”

He leans back in his chair and drinks down the rest of his cocoa. “Well, I have one. There was a short skeleton, kind of an asshole, who came in to get a telescope fixed. It was an old telescope. He could sell it for thousands. He wanted it fixed up for his girlfriend. So I did it. And he came back about two or so weeks later. The telescope was broken again, and he had a large bruise on his cheek and a bandage on his head…” My face twists in rage. “What’s that face for?”

I clench my jaw. “I that skeleton. And his girlfriend. She’s a ‘Joy’ to be around.” I say, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “I have a few theories bout that bitch. None that should be discussed here.”

“Well, any evidence you need is probably in her phone.” Jin says.

I eye him. “Mm. She keeps her phone in her bra.”

“Well, when she takes off her bra for the bonezone, snoop in there, and take the phone. Easy.” He says nonchalantly.

“Uhuh, I’m no good at sneaking around.” I say with a sigh.

“Eh, they’ll be asleep. You won’t need to sneak that much.” He chuckles.

I nod a bit and finish my drink. Jin stands up and gathers out cups before bringing them to the place for them. I get a text from my brother: _hey, hey. If you kiss him and have proof, then I’ll get a job over the summer to help pay for expenses._

I read the text and turn red, biting my lip hard. I quickly shut off my phone and shove it back into my purse as Jin walks over, hands in his pockets. I stand up and we walk out the door together.

“Well, that was an enjoyable experience.” Jin says, looking up at the sky before turning his gaze to me. “However, it’s time to depart.” His eyes are so blue, like the ocean frozen over. “It was nice meeting you, Kat.”

I remember the text and grab the collar of his shirt, pulling him down and pressing my lips against his, eyes shut, and face red. I can feel him kissing me back and I pull away, gasping a bit, letting his shirt go. I stumble back, grinning at myself. _GET DUNKED ON LOGAN. FUCKING HOPE YOU HAVE FUN FINDING A JOB! Wait…_ I look around, and don’t spot the white-haired asshole anywhere.

My eye twitches and I look down, seeing a note wedged into my cleavage. I pull it out and read the slightly messy handwriting.

“Nice try! Fruitless, however. Oh, and thanks for the kiss. Call me.~”

There’s a heart next to the ‘call me.’ My eye twitches and I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Fucking, I just had my first kiss and the guy doesn’t even stick around. Rad. Just fucking radical.” I turn on my heel, and I swear I can hear someone laughing, but I ignore it.

I rub my temples as I get into my car, resting my forehead against the steering wheel. “Great, I have a note that says we kissed, but Logan could say that I forged it or something. Damn.” I lift my head from the steering wheel and start the car, my face blank, almost depressed, mostly tired.

I sigh and drive home, pulling into the driveway. I sit in the car for maybe a bit too long before getting out. I trip over my own feet, but grab the car door for stability.

The front door opens and my brother greets me with a wide grin. “How was the date?”

I don’t answer, just push past him and walk into the house, making my way to the couch and plopping down on it.

Logan closes the door and his grin falls as he watches me lay on the couch, staring off into the distance. “I had my first kiss. Was great, actually. And the guy just left. Nice. Must not have been good for him or something.” I sit up and rub my eyes. “Ey, I shoulda figured. Anyways, you gonna get a job?”

“Yeah, Kat.” Logan says, walking over to me and ruffling my hair. “I will. I’ll make some tea for you.”

I smile weakly. “Thanks, Logan.”

He smiles and nods, making his way to the kitchen.

****

Epilogue:

****

The girl pushes past the cute guy and enters her home.

Still with the warm rumble of laughter in his belly, and a sweet taste on his lips, he starts to walk home, without any hurry.

That was fun. That Kat certainly was a lot of fun to mess around with. And, he had to admit, she WAS really cute. And... A pretty bad kisser. But, hey, she had showed guts. No idea why, but there had surely been a trigger. Whichever it was, God bless it.

"Stealing a first kiss, messing around, drinking chocolate... Pretty good night." A soundless voices merely replies with a grunt. Huh? "Hey, what got you all upset?"

_Your manners._

He stops midway on the road for a second, then resumes the march. "Care to elaborate?"

_You take a girl’s first kiss, disappear without goodbye and leave a mocking note on... Well, on a disrespectful place!_

He shrugs. "She had no pockets..."

_I AM QUITE AWARE OF WHY YOU PUT IT THERE, AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A LACK OF POCKETS.  
_

He sighs. "What a bother..." Still... Maybe he had overdone it a bit? She had seemed a bit... Down.

He sighs again. "Annoying ghosts, embarrassed women and a guilty consciousness... What a booooother..."

He kicks the ground.

Ah, dammit.

He takes out his phone, and swiftly marks a number.

_Wait!_

He scowls in annoyance. "What now?"

_You should text her instead._

"Since when are YOU the expert in women? You know what, do not answer that."

A text it is.

"hey cutie, guess who is ready for a second round at kisses and is very sorry for disappearing"

She reads it. And types back. A smile pops up in his face in anticipation of an annoyed remark.

"Considering the last part, not you"

He chuckles. Damn, this girl was good!

And kinda cute, to be honest...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything but the Epilogue is done by Taba!
> 
> The epilogue was done by Faggot there.
> 
> Our writing styles are different, oop. But heyy, I made a nice break in the thingy so you can like tellll! Yay! Uh.
> 
> If you found this, what are you doing here? Why are you here?
> 
> We're proud of this. Faggot there helped me write his character to a bit so he helped a lot more than it seems, but it's behind the scenes stuff. xD but yeah!
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this! Taba apologizes for any typos. I'm typing on my phone and it's hard to like type on my phone. xD
> 
> Leave a comment or Kudos. I dunno. I mean, I dunno why you would, but goooo for it!


	2. The Park is the Bomb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Date #2

I finish my sketch, rubbing my eyes. I drain the last of my coffee. It’s completely silent in the house except for the music I’m playing.

It’s about eleven in the morning, I haven’t gotten a good morning message from Jin. Means he’s probably actually sleeping, seeing as it seems he never does sleep. But whatever, I shouldn’t be hypocritical, I barely sleep as is either. I rub my eyes and put my phone in my pocket, walking downstairs to get some more coffee, grabbing my cup on the way down.

Logan is at a friend’s place the entire day today, they’re working on building a computer. He may not come back tonight. I hum as I set my cup down and go to pour more coffee into my cup when my phone pings. I set the coffee pot down before pulling my phone out if my pocket and eyeing the message.

“I’ll be over in five minutes. Do be ready to go out.”

I sit and put the coffee pot back, setting my cup in the sink. My phone goes into my pocket and I walk upstairs to my room. I pull on a different outfit, a pair of black leggings and a green and grey striped shirt that goes down to about my mid-thigh, so almost like a dress. I pull on some boots before going down the steps. I grab my purse as there is a knock on the door.

I shoo my cats away from the door before opening the door, looking at the white-haired asshole. “Morning.” I say softly, covering my mouth as I yawn.

“Good morning.” He says, leaning back and grinning at me. “Quite the sight for sore eyes.”

I rolls my eyes. “Aww, did you miss me?” I say in the most baby tone I can.

He grins. “Not as much as you missed me.”

I snort and shake my head, cheeks turning a bit red. “Shut up. Where are we going?”

“Your bed.~”

I frown. “Uhuh. You said we were going out. Plus, you can at least take me out for a dinner before you try ta get me into bed.”

Jin chuckles. “Coffee doesn’t count?”

“Not a meal, goofus.” I exit my house, closing the door behind me, and locking it. “So where are we really going?”

“An amusement park.” Jin says casually.

I blink once before my face lights up, mouth breaking into a bright grin. “Oh god. I love amusement parks.” My voice is slightly higher pitched due to the joy that just filled my entire body.

Jin laughs at my expression and I huff, shooting him a glare. “Shut up, asshole. I haven’t been to an amusement park since I was like seven. It’s been like 13 years. Why an amusement park though?”

“Got some tickets from work.” He says with a shrug.

I walk over to my car, him following behind me. We get in and I pull out of the driveway. “Which work?”

“Uh. I’ll lett ya about it when we get there.” Jin states.

I look over at him before returning my eyes to the road. He gives me directions to our destination, and I park into a spot once we get there. We exit the car and I walk over to him.

“So, what’s the deal?” I ask, giving him a side-eye.

“There’s a bomb here. I need to deal with it. Police stuff.” Jin says nonchalantly.

I blink and panic seizes my entire body. My breath hitches, my entire body goes numb, and I stand dead still. “W-what..? Y-Y-You’re ki-kidding… R-Right..?” I ask shakily.

“Nope.” He pops the ‘p’ in the word.

My hand clench my shirt tightly, looking down and starting to shake violently. _Oh god… there’s a bomb. Oh god. I’m going to die. Everyone here is going to die. Oh god. Oh god. Oh god. This is serious, he wouldn’t joke about this… oh god… i could die… i haven’t said goodbye i haven’t fixed my mistakes…_ My hands go up, tangling into my hair, nails digging into my scalp as my breath comes out in short bursts. “fuck… fuck…” I mutter and dig my nails deeper into my scalp.

_I could die. But he has to be confident in his abilities. He wouldn’t bring someone inexperienced along if he didn’t think himself capable, right?_

My eyes screw shut and my body tried to curl around itself, causing me to crouch, head resting on my knees.

I feel someone move near me, and softly curse. “Kat, Kat.” I hear them say, so I flick my eyes up and looks at Jin, his face dead serious and concern also apparent. “There is no bomb.”

I blink once and stare at him blankly for a moment, reading his face. He holds my gaze and my hands pull away from my hair. “...what..?” I mumble.

“There isn’t a bomb.” Jin repeats.

“WHAT?” I shout, my breath wheezing out.

“Yeah, I called in a bomb notice to get tickets. I wanted them so I could apologize to you about the first date.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I didn't think… Jesus… Sorry, I’m a piece of shit.”

I stare at him for about thirty second before letting out a laugh, which turns into a relieved sob. “Oh god. N-No, don’t apologize. M-My ow-own fault. Usu-usually most pe-people don-don’t get as we-weird as me.” I reach up and rub my eyes, rubbing the tears away. “M-my mind spi-spirals outta co-control som-sometimes. S-Sorry about that.” I laugh, tears still rolling down my face, even though I’m trying to rub them away.

Jin sighs again, looking at me. “I’m the one who made the joke intentionally. You can’t control your anxiety.” He lets out a humorless laugh. “God, I’m a fucking piece of shit.”

A frown pulls on my lips and I rub my eyes free of tears, carefully reaching out and resting a hand on his knee. “Hey, it was an accident, right? You didn’t know I had bad anxiety, to the point where I spiral outta control. I didn’t know you were joking, I’m not the best at figuring out if people are joking or not.” I offer him a small smile. “We’re both pieces of shit in our own ways. But we’re learning things about each other, right?” I stand up, my knees cracking, offering a hand to him. “It’s hard to do it, but focusing on the positives is something I’m slowly teaching myself to do. So come on. We’re going to have a lotta fun here, right? Let’s try to focus on that for now.”

He looks at me and takes my hand, and I pull him up. “I’d understand if you wanted to call off the date.” He says softly.

I look at him. “Call of the date and miss a chance for a second round of kisses?” I put a hand to my chest in mock surprise. “My, my, sir. Who would pass up an opportunity like that?”

A smile forms on Jin’s mouth.

It’s a smile I’ve never seen before, it’s different.

Its… I think it’s the first time I’ve seen him smile from the bottom of his heart.

Heat floods my cheeks and I press my lips together, wanting to stare at it and treasure that smile, but also wanting to look anywhere else because it’s making me blush so much. I look for another thirty second before letting out a loud, “WELP! We should get into the lime, huh?” My cheeks are still a dark red, and a smile is pulling at my lips, straining it.

He looks at me for a moment before letting out a chuckle. “Probably.” I can tell that chuckle is mocking me.

With a huff, I turn and walk to the line, pointedly ignoring Jin’s laughs at my childish antics. We get in line and I’m bouncing on my feet, keeping pace with the line.

We get to the front rather quickly, Jin handing the tickets to the lady with a wink. I snort and offer my arm so the lady can put the paper bracelet on my arm. Jin gets one as well and we walk into the park.

“So, what first?” I ask, looking around.

“Mm.” He looks around before his eyes settle on me. “You.~”

I look at him, rolling my eyes. “How about some food?” I walk over to a nearby food stand.

Jin follows behind me, and I eye him. He seems to be thinking about something, staring up at the sky. A frown pulls on my lips, but I decide not to press. _It’s probably about you and your little attack._ My brain tells me. “not everything is about me… fuck off..” I mutter to myself.

We step into the line, each dealing with our own issues in a way. I shake my head and look up at Jin. He looks down at me and grins. “You’re so small.”

“I am like five centimeters shorter than you. That’s barely anything. I’m not that small.” I huff.

A grin crosses his features. “So small.” He says in a baby voice.

I purse my lips and turn away from him, walking in front of the counter. “Could I get some fries and a bottle of water? And then whatever he’s getting.” I take a step back as Jin orders.

The lady states the price and I hand her the correct amount of cash before Jin can do anything. He looks at me oddly and I just smile, taking our food and drinks. We walk over to an empty table underneath the shade of a tree. I sit down on one side and Jin sits across from me. We take our respective meals and I’m about to take a bite when Jin states, “You know, if you are trying to keep us even, then I have the right to kiss you.”

I drop my fry and heat floods my face again. I force out a laugh and drink some water. “I mean, you have a point.” I look down at him, pick up another fry, and put it in my mouth.

He watches as I continue to eat, and heat floods my cheeks again. Jin smirks, then goes back to his own food, happily eating. I finish before him, due to not getting as much food, so I look up at the light filtering through the leaves of the tree. A smile plays along my lips and I hear a soft crunch. I turn my head back to Jin who just finished his food the smile still there. “You ready to go?”

“Yep.” He states simply.

I get up, tossing my garbage into the specific bin. “So, so. What to first?”

Jin watches me for a bit, and I figure he’s going to say ‘You’ again. I furrow my eyebrows at him as he reaches over and swiped his thumb across my cheek. “Did I have paint on my face again?” I ask softly.

“Mhmm.” He simply hums before looking out to the park again. “How about that one?” He points to a relatively calm ride and I nod.

~~~~

We ride a few rides, going through one haunted house where Jin was laughing most of the time, due to the bad jump scares and me freaking out. _Fucking he should be glad he’s hot._ I think as I walk to the bathroom. The line is a bit long but I get through relatively quickly.

I walk out of the bathroom, and look up at the sky. _It’s pretty dark out. Huh. What time is it?_ I pull my phone out of my purse and check it. ‘7:00 P.M.’ It read and I blink. _That’s like… 7ish hours… Jesus. I’ll need to leave soon to get the babies fed._ I frown a bit before shoving my phone back into my purse.

I get up on my tiptoes and search around for Jin but I can’t find him anywhere. A frown pulls at my lips and I start to walk around, looking for him. A big burly guy runs into me, dropping his soda. “Oi! What the fuck?” He shouts at me, making me cringe back a bit.

“S-Sorry sir.” I mutter, timidly. “I can get you an-another one.”

The man grumbles annoyedly. “The line is super long. I’m not waiting in that again, you bitch.”

I blink and bite my lip hard. “Is there a problem here?” A familiar voice drawls out.

“Yeah, this little lady bumped into me and caused me to spill my drink!” The guy shouts.

A hand offers me a ice cream sandwich and I take it. Jin shoots me a smile and a wink before turning to the man. “You know, if a small lady could make a big burly man like you to spill a drink, then she would’ve had to hit you hard. Now, Kat here, she doesn’t run. Doesn’t much like it. So, the only way she would’ve been able to do that, would’ve been smacking the drink out if your hand. But she’s too much of a sweetheart to do that.” My face turns red. “So, you either had a very bad grip on that cup, or dropped it on purpose to try and make her pay, in one way or another.”

The man turns red in anger and embarrassment. “Oh, so you have your brother come and save you from the big scary man? You don’t have the balls?”

“I have more balls than you do.” I say, taking a step to stand beside Jin. “And, you must have to act like a fucking dick to compensate for the one you don’t have.” The man flushes even hotter. “And, this isn’t my brother, he’s my date. Now if you’ll get on your way, we would like to go back to our date.”

The man growls, stomping away. “Feisty. Careful, you might melt your ice cream.” Jin says with a grin.

I shoot him a glare before unwrapping the ice cream and eating it. He doesn’t seem to have one. “Did you get only one?” I ask.

“Yep.” He says, looking over somewhere.

“Wanna share? It’s really good, and you have to be hot in that jacket.” I say softly.

He turns to me and shrugs. “I’m pretty used to it.”

“Well.” I say and hold the ice cream to his mouth. “I don’t care bout what you’re used to. Eat.”

He chuckles and takes a bit of the ice cream and I bring it back to myself. We finish it, alternating taking bites. Jin tosses the wrapper into the trash as I check my face for any ice cream residue with my phone. I clear all of it away and shove my phone back into my purse.

“What next?” He asks, having been watching me.

“I have to go home soon to feed my cats, and get some food that isn’t 100% grease.” I say, making a face. “But I think I can do one more ride.”

“Oh?” His grin widens.

“Don’t say anything.” I say, cheeks a bit red, shooting him a glare.

“Anyhing.~”

I silently stare at him. “I’m so done with your bullshit.” I say softly.

He just laughs before nodding towards the ferris wheel. “What about that?”

“Ooh, are we going to be stereotypical?” I laugh. “I love it. Let’s go.” I skip over to the ferris wheel.

He follows behind me, and I swear he’s looking at my butt, but whatever. I get in line, Jin settling in line beside me.

The line proceeds slowly, filled with a lot of couples who are clinging to each other and kissing. I sway in my spot, taking steps forward whenever we’re allowed to.

Jin seems to notice the other couples and leans over to me. “So you wanna-?” He starts.

“Don’t even finish that sentence.” I say, cutting him off and gently pushing his face away.

“Hey considering your track record, I would rather have a little warning.” He says with a chuckle.

“The fuck does that even mean?” I look over at him, a frown forming on my lips.

“Is it a rhetorical question or a real one? If it’s a real one, I can give a demonstration.~” He says with a cocky grin.

My eye twitches. “It was a real question, so, please, demonstrate away, good sir.” I say sarcastically.

He leans over, and my eyes widen, cheeks turning a dark red. My eyes start to close on their own.

_WHY AM I DOING THIS! I. IT’S NOT LIKE-_

There’s a pressure on my forehead, a small soft pressure. It’s pleasant. I open my eyes, cheeks still burning, and I see a wink and a cocky grin.

“Something like that.”

I’m about to retort something but the lady in front of us ushers us into a little car. I bite my lip before climbing in and sitting down. Jin sits down across from me, the door getting shut, and I stare out the window, watching the car rise.

I grip the side of the seat tightly, and stare as the ground gets further away and the sky closer. A smile comes across my face as I concentrate on the scene. I sit back after a little and lean against the side of the car, smiling peacefully.

I can feel Jin’s eyes on me, so I look over. He just shoots me a grin and looks out the window himself.

I lean against the side of the seat and let my eyes flutter shut. A few second later I’m fast asleep.

 

**EPILOGUE.**

Jin plays with piece of Kat’s hair. The feeling on his fingers is soft and pleasant.

He can’t help but admire the woman, mouth agape in her slumber and head fallen against his shoulder.

There is a bright spark somewhere within him. A feeling ever so intense and brief...

What is it? What is that?

_A woman can heal all my wounds._

He lets go of the hair and focuses in his own mind, talking without words. "What?"

_That is what you were thinking._

"It isn’t."

The voice laughs.

Love. Everybody always talked about love. Love this love the other... "I don’t-"

_Didn’t you always say that lying to one’s self is the biggest act of hypocrisy?_

Fucking asshole. He bits his lip. "Shut the fuck up and let me enjoy this."

The voice laughs again. _Of course._

The pleasant silence returns. The only sound that could be heard is the soft breath of his companion. Sadly, he ignores the view of the cabin, rather focusing on her.

It would be okay if he did it, right? Just to keep them even...

He feels a laugh inside his head. "Oh, shut the fuck up."

A bit more time passes.

_You know, if they found out that you made a false bomb warning only to get those tickets, you would end up in jail.  
_

Okay, maybe doing that, just because all tickets had been sold out, wasn’t the best idea.

He caresses the top of Kat’s head softly. She nuzzles a bit against his hand, and a small smile appears on his lips.

"Totally worth it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kay hi again. We have created a second thing. It's date #2.
> 
> Main body written by Taba (with help from Faggot with dialogue and a few scenes!)
> 
> Epilogue written by Faggot.
> 
> Uh. We're back. Rad. Why are you reading this guys? Ehhhhh.
> 
> It's just two friends shipping their babies because we're fucking bored. xD Also starting to hardcore ship this. Shit.
> 
> Anyways! Leave a comment ir Kudos if you so desire! Any spelling mistakes let us know! Someone will fix them. K. Thanks. Bye.


	3. What a Fucking Night (Not of That Kind, Sadly)

Someone is shaking my shoulder gently, trying to wake me up. I grumble softly, snuggling closer to the thing I’m laying against. There’s a chuckle and another push against my shoulder. My eyes flutter open, my face pressed into cloth. I sit up, stretching my arms above my head lazily.

“You missed the whole ride, Sleeping Beauty.” A voice says, amusement laced into every word.

I squint my eyes over to where the voice is coming from. Right beside me. “When did you get over to this side?” I ask, my voice soft.

“You fell asleep, and were leaning against the side of the cabin. Cept you shifted and were starting to lean to the other side, so I figured I’d sit here and be your pillow.” He says, shrugging.

Heat floods my cheeks and the cabin stops at the bottom. The door opens and Jin steps out, offering me a hand. I take it and step out, gripping his hand tighter than I meant to, since I’m a bit unsteady on my feet.

I go to let go of Jin’s hand but he keeps his grip, so I tighten my grip. I yawn, covering my mouth. “Sorry, I guess you weren’t able to see from the top of the ferris wheel because of me.” I stumble along with him.

“It’s alright.” He says. “I could still see something beautiful.”

My brain doesn’t click with what he means. “Ah, you could still see outside?”

Jin stops and looks at me. I stumble to a stop and blink, titling my head to the side. He laughs, shaking his head, before continuing to walk. “May I drive you home?”

“Yeah, yeah. That sounds good.” I say with a small yawn.

Jin walks to the car, and pulls me to the passenger's seat, opening the door. I get in, sleepily, buckling my seatbelt in. Jin gets in and I had him my keys. He starts the car and drives me home. 

The ride is silent, and I almost fall asleep, but we arrive at my house before I really can. By the time I unbuckle myself, Jin is already opening my door and offering his hand.

I take it again, pulling myself up. He hands me my keys again, and walks me to my front door. “Well, I believe it is time for me to go.” Jin states as I unlock my front door.

I turn to look at him, blinking. “Uh. No. Will you stay? At least for dinner. Just, as an apology for the whole falling asleep on you stuff.” I ask, keeping a hand on the doorknob.

Jin chuckles. “You don’t have to apologize for that, beautiful.”

My cheeks flare up with color. “Well then for dinner? I have stuff planned out for two people and my brother won’t be home until late tonight.”

“Alright. I’ll stay.”

I hear some scratches against the door and a loud ‘Meow’ coming from inside. “Oh, I have three cats. I don’t remember if I told you this.”

“You said you had cats.” He supplies.

“Well, three to be exact. They may jump on you because they’re hungry. You okay with cats?” I ask, anxiously.

“Yep.” He smiles.

“Cool.” I mutter before opening the front door.

I grab Jin and pull him into the house quickly, closing the door quickly behind us. The cats immediately are running towards us and I crouch down, letting Taco jump into my arms. The other two barrel towards Jin and Dresden goes to claw up his leg, but I pull him off. Crookshanks took a flying jump off of the coffee table and meowed in a way that sounded like a war cry. He lands on Jin’s chest and I hear him say something loudly, but I don’t understand what it is.

I stand back up, cradling the two cats in my arms. Dresden is glaring at Jin, Taco just nuzzled up against my neck, and Crookshanks having crawled onto Jin’s shoulders and wrapped around his neck. A smile plays long my lips and I set the two in my arms down. “Oh jeez sorry about him. That’s Crookshanks. The black cat is Dresden, and the grey one is Taco.” I say softly, watching the two on the floor move to the kitchen, Dresden meowing loudly.

I hear Jin chuckle. “Care to explain how they got these names?”

“Crookshanks is from Harry Potter. Dresden is short for Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, character from the Dresden Files. Taco… My lil sis named her taco. That’s all I can tell ya.” I look at him and smile.

Jin chuckles again and takes off his shoes, I pull my boots off. “Hey, I’ll be back in a bit, lemme just grab something a bit more comfortable to wear.” I say, padding across the floor with my sock clad feet. “Bathroom is down the hallway, first door to your right. Kitchen, if you want water or something, is to the left.” I walk up the stairs.

I pull off my shirt and throw on a hoodie, brushing my hair out and pulling off my socks. I come back down the stairs and spot Jin sitting on the couch, the cats snuggling against him. A grin comes across my face and I laugh softly, shaking my head. “I’m going to make food. I would say get comfortable, but it seems you already have.”

He laughs. “I could be more comfortable.”

I turn to look at him. “Oh?”

“If a beautiful person was sitting beside me, that’d be better.” Jin says with a wink.

“Too bad there’s no beautiful girls here, huh?” I say monotonously before walking into the kitchen.

Jin snickers. “It’s really cute that you don’t see how beautiful you are.”

I let out an unattractive snort, shaking my head. “And it’s really cute that you think I’m beautiful. You have fun with your delusional fantasies.”

“Oh, I will~” He calls out to me, and I roll my eyes.

I stretch, my back cracking, before pulling the chicken out of the fridge, along with salad stuff. I roll up the sleeves of the jacket and pull out a pan and some oil.

The stove lights up and I pour some oil in the pan, setting the chicken onto it as well. There’s a snap of the oil and a pleasant aroma fills the air. I wash my hands then spread some fresh rosemary, pepper, and salt into the chicken. I leave it to cook before starting to chop up some vegetables for salad. The chicken sizzles and I move over to flip it. I put the same seasonings on that side. When I turn to go back to the vegetables, Jin is standing in the doorway. I jump and let out a shaky breath. “Hey.” I say. “What’s up?”

Jin eyes me and eyes the food. “Cats led me here.” He points to his feet where the kitties were weaving through his legs.

I giggle and finish cutting up the last of the veggies. “I’ll feed them in a moment.” I say, going back to the chicken and testing it for being done.

Jin stays silent, the cats are purring and meowing loudly, and the chicken is sizzling. The chicken finishes after a few moments and I pull it out of the pan, slicing it and resting it on top of each bowl of salad. I grab a fork, putting a bit of vinaigrette on top of each salad, before handing on to Jin. He takes it and I brush past him, getting to the cat food and feeding all three kitties.

I grab my own bowl of food and look at Jin. He looks at me and I nod over to the couch, walking over and plopping down. He sits down beside me.

We eat in silence.

Er, that is until my brother opens the door.

Jin and I both look up at Logan as he enters the house, a grin plastered across his face, a bottle of whiskey in one hand, and hiccupping. Logan spots us, his cheeks rosey, and points at us accusingly. “You guys are…” he hiccups and giggles. “A pair of fucking morons!” I blink. “AND I!” He hiccups again. “I AM A FFFUUUCKKKKKING GENIOUSSSSSS!”

“Well then, hello to you too.” Jin says with a smile playing along his lips.

I snort and set my bowl on the table. “Logan, are you drunk?”

“NO! YOU ARE!” He shouts at me.

“Okay, bro. Whatever you wanna say.” I mutter.

“YOU KNOW! THIS COMPUTER!” He hiccups. “THAT I AM MAKING! CAN CONTROL THE WORLD! IT COULD FUCKING DESTROY THE WORLD! IT’S LIKE PROJECT MANHATTAN! IT COULD BLOW SHIT UP! BETTER THAN NUKES! HAH!”

“I don’t think computers are supposed to be like nuclear bombs, Logan.” I say, pushing myself to a more upright position, ready to stand when needed.

“I BET YOU GUYS DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE MANHATTAN PROJECT IS! PROJECT MANHATTAN! WHATEVER!” Logan shouts, a grin spread across his face.

I stare at him. “I have been through school and seen Big Bang Theory, you fucking dysfunctional condom.” 

Logan points accusingly at Jin. “WHAT ABOUT YOU?”

“Do you want me to list all the members involved with the project?” Jin replies smoothly.

“BITCH! I BET YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW ONE PERSON ON THAT TEAM!” Jin stares at him blankly and Logan grins victoriously. “SEE YOU-”

“Oppenheimer, Richard Feynman, Eugenia Peierls, and J. Ernest Wilkins Jr. Those are the four main people.” Jin says.

Logan stays silent for a moment before glaring at Jin. “YOU’RE TOO FUCKING SEXY TO BE SO SMART!”

“And you’re too cute to be so dumb.” Jin replies to him.

Logan's face flushes hotter and I turn to Jin, furrowing my eyebrows. “Did you just hit on my brother?” Jin just grins at me and I shake my head, letting out a huff. “Glad ta know that my brother’s looks outweigh my personality and looks. Damn.” I say, standing up. 

“Oh, don’t worry. He may be cute, but he isn’t nearly as beautiful as you.” Jin says, making my cheeks burn with color.

I open my mouth to retort to him, but Logan beats me to the punch. He laughs out loud. “Hah. Her? Beautiful? Are you blind? Jesus, she’s like a human trash can. And as retarded.” Logan continues to giggle and I flinch a bit. “I don’t know what the hell you see in her. Could be with someone better.” Logan gives Jin an exaggerated wink.

In a fluid motion, quick too, Jin gets up and hits Logan’s pressure point on his neck, causing him to drop. I quickly grab him and the whiskey bottle before either hit the ground. I set the bottle in the table and look over at Jin. His eyes are cold, mouth set in a straight line. “You carry him. I’d feel inclined to toss him out the window.” He says in a low voice.

I eye him and nod, picking Logan up and walk up the stairs easily, dropping him off on his bed with a plop. Logan jumps awake at that and stares at me. “Ew. Did you carry me here? Woul-”

“Logan, you’re treading on thin ice. I would suggest you shut the fuck up and go to bed.” I say in a low voice, my mouth set in a straight line.

“Aww, I was just kidding.”

“You weren’t and you know it.” I straighten and brush my hands off on my pants. “Sleep well, I love you.”

“Are you two gonna fuck? He does know he can do better, correct?” Logan asks me.

“Would you like me to ask him? He may not want to respond to you, however.”

“Of course he will! I’m hot!” Logan grins.

I roll my eyes and exit Logan’s room. I lean over the banister. “Hey Jin?” I call out, and he looks up at me. “My brother would like to know if we are going to fuck and if you know you can do better.”

“Sex isn’t mine to offer!” He calls up, loud enough for Logan to hear. “And the only thing better is me! And I already fuck myself daily!”

I hear Logan scream “OH FUCK YOU!” at Jin.

A small soft smile plays across my lips and I let out a little huff of amusement, shaking my head.

I shut Logan’s door and rub my face, walking down the stairs and picking up the whiskey bottle, walking to the kitchen and shoving it in the hidden place in a cabinet.

I come back to the living room and look at my food, suddenly not feeling hungry and barely haven eaten anything. I sigh and pick up the bowl, putting it in a container and into the fridge for later consumption.

I sit back down beside Jin, and very gently lean against him. “Sorry about that. I didn’t think he’d come home.” I let out a humorless laugh.

“No worries.” Jin says.

We sit in silence, the three cats cuddled on our laps. Dresden on mine, Taco in the middle, and Crookshanks on Jin’s lap.

I’m petting Dresden, when a question pops up in my mind. “Hey Jin..?” He lets out a hum. “What… What are we?”

His head shifts, but my concentration remains on Dresden. “What do you mean?”

I let out a small huff. “You know what I mean…” My cheeks flush pink.

“Oh.” He says softly. “Well, I don’t see a need to label it.”

I chew my lip. “Well, I mean… You have a point, but labels can sometimes serve as clarification for both parties involved. And that way if another person asks about it the whoever is being asked can tell the other person. Like if a friend asked, easy clarification that ‘Hey, I’m in a relationship.’ or ‘Hey, I’m still a single fuck.’ or whatever.” I take a breath. “Or if someone hits on you or some shit. Or me, but that’s unlikely.”

Jin sighs softly. “The truth is… I don’t know what we are. Would you want to stay by me until the day we find out?”

“I-I mean…” I run my hand through Dresden’s fur, face slowly getting redder. “I wouldn’t be opposed to it… But I feel like I should be asking you that.” I laugh drily.

Jin pauses for a moment. “Why don’t you try?” I feel something rest against my own head. “Asking me that is…” Jin’s voice is softer now.

I laugh a bit. “Okay.” I take a breath. “Well, would you be willing to stay by me until the day comes that we figure this out?”

Whatever was resting on my head moves, and a hand comes, tilting my chin up. Dark blue eyes meet mine with a smile. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

My entire face turns red and I laugh. “Why me? Logan is right, there are a lot more people out in the world that you could be with.”

Jin looks at me, smiling gently. “I don’t want better. I just want you.”

My entire face blooms into a dark red, matching my hair. “There’s literally nothing special about me. I’m just a human being. That’s about it.” 

Jin shrugs. “I never said there was a logical reason. It’s just what I want.” He lets my chin go.

I chew my lip. “Huh. You have weird wants, Mister.” A small smile plays along my lips.

Jin shoots me a grin. “I think we are past formalities at this point, my lady.” He pauses. “That said, if that is your tastes, I am nobody to kinkshame.~”

My face heats up again and I glare at him. “Jesus fucking Christ.” I mutter, putting my head into my hands. “Why the hell do I want to pursue as relationship with you?” I grumble into my hands, before looking up and glaring at him. “Oh right, because you’re fucking hot and make me happy. That’s why.” I let out a huff and turn away from him.

Jin stays silent for a touch longer than usual, and I turn to him. He has a blush rising on his cheeks. “I- Ehem…” He brushes off the front of his shirt awkwardly. “That certainly doesn’t sound… Unpleasant.”

I eye him. “I figured with the edgy persona you tend to put on, you were incapable of blushing.” I victorious grin spreads across my face. “It doesn’t sound unpleasant. It sounds fun, really. Interesting. Intriguing. More adjectives.” I laugh at myself, reaching down to pet Dresden.

He laughs. “Now now, what kind of fun are we talking about?~” He asks, shooting me a wink.

“Whatever kind of fun you want, dearest.~” I purr out. “Within reason, that is.”

Jin starts to laugh, almost hysterically. It’s beautiful, the sound making me think that nothing is holding him back. My face flushes with red. When he recovers his breath he shoots me a glare that has nothing but pure affection behind it. “You are one of the best things that has happened to me in a long time.”

Color rises and darken on my cheeks and ears. “H-Hah. Well, I-I uh. I-I try.”

 _AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!_ My brain screams. _WHY IS HE SO FUCKING CUTE! NO BRAIN! STOP! THIS IS A BAD THING TO THINK! NOPE! NOPE! STOP! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_

Jin just laughs. “Yes, you do.”

We sit in a comfortable silence, for a few minutes. I’m leaning against Jin’s shoulder, and staring off into space, Jin sitting beside me, reading the book I had on my coffee table.

“Huh…” I say softly.

“What?” Jin prompts, not looking up at the books.

“We still haven’t technically gotten even. Dang.” I tap my lips, thinking.

Jin shut the book. “Oh right.” He says before turning, and lifting my chin.

My face flushes red as his lips are pressed to mine, my eyes fluttering shut. His lips are soft, very soft. Jesus. I could use them as pillows.

All too soon he pulls away, I open my eyes and see his smug grin. “Now, who will break the tie next?~”

My face heats up more and I huff loudly. “I didn’t mean that! I meant you got me ice cream, so I needed to get even with that.” My cheeks puff out in annoyance.

“Oh, we shared that.” Jin says. “No need to get even with that.” He waves his hand at me.

I huff and look at him before leaning against his shoulder again, and looking at the book. It’s a nonfiction book dealing with the ancient Athenians. I read along with him, and he tilts his head a bit, resting his head against mine.

Hours go by, and I’m starting to fall asleep. I move away from Jin and he looks over at me, his own tiredness apparent in his eyes. “I’m going to head to bed.” I say softly.

“Alright.” He says.

“There’s a spare bedroom down that hall very last door. If you want to use it.” I rub my eyes before leaning over and pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek. “Sleep well, if you sleep.” I smile gently at him.

I walk up the stairs, the cats following behind me. I flop onto my bed and pass out as soon as my head hits the pillow.

~~~~

The sun is setting. Smoke rises from the various buildings. There are various fires in the streets. But nobody can be seen. No running families, escaping from the ablaze hell that once was their homes, no bodies in the streets, members missing from the blasts, no emergency services, uniforms covered in ash and dust...

He is atop the clock tower envisioning the hellish spectacle. He doesn’t understand. What happened here?

The wind blows, carrying with it ashes.

Why doesn’t he feel it on his skin.

He looks at his hands.

Ah, right.

He is already covered in ashes.

After all, this was his doing, wasn’t it?

The clock’s bell rings.

And Hell breaks loose.

The tower crumbles, fractures covering the floor. It gives in and the tower crumbles.

And him with it.

For the briefest moment, he finds himself looking straight at the sky.

It’s not the same sky.

The moon shines, full on a clouded sky.

He falls over blackened ashes, faces first.

He can’t move, but feels no pain.

He knows this place.

He knows this night.

He has to-!

Suddenly, the black ashes are thrown to the air with strength.

An arm is surging from it. Pure bone, as black as the ashes, and with cracks all over it.

As he watches, the arm stands on place, bony fingers moving slightly on the wind. A curious thought passes his mind.

It almost looks like it is enjoying the breeze.

Suddenly, the arm launches forward.

It grabs onto his arm.

There where it touches, cloth burns to nothing and he can feel his skin almost boiling with heat.

He would scream.

But he can’t.

A myriad of hands has hatched from the ash and grabs onto him.

It hurts.

IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS IT HURTS.

He can feel tears of pain carving a path through the ash on his face.

He can’t breath. Scream. The pressure on his back is too much.

IT HURTS.

He is slowly dragged down into the black mass.

Arms gripping his back, left leg and right arm.

Last thing he sees before the blackness takes all is a kid, into the distance.

He tries to scream for them to run.

But he can’t.

Into the darkness, he feels the ash change and move.

And then a thousand dead faces stare at him, made from what once where their bodies.

He can’t see the explosion when it happens.

But he hears it.

He is used to that sound.

 

 

Jin wakes up in pain.

He starts rolling on the bed, biting down the screams of pain.

He keeps at that for a long time. Minutes or hours, he can’t tell.

When the pain subsides enough for him to take control of his body, he stays on his side, panting and covered in sweat.

Holding his right arm, he moves to sit on the edge of the bed.

Each move tenses the scars on the back, his body remembering the old pain.

He tries to stand up and almost falls to the ground when a bolt of pain comes from his leg.

It rests soon and he manages to not fall, shaking on his feet like a leaf on the wind.

Taking small steps and limping dangerously, he grabs his jacket and exits the room.

On his way, the voice talks, tone precarious and worried. _Jin…?_

"A bomb warning... Ah, the irony is quite curious, isn’t it? Or, perhaps I should say karma? Day starts and ends the same way..."

The voice doesn’t answer.

He finds a bit of paper and a pen, and leaves a note on a table.

_You’re leaving?_

He stops walking for a moment. In a whisper, he answers. Not talking to the voice, but to himself. "I can’t see her like this..."

He shakes his head and resumes the way.

Hand on the door, he turns and finds three pair of small and intelligent eyes staying at him. "Take care of them." After addressing them, he opens the door and leaves, pain in his body and mind filled with thousands of faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bleh. By now you guys should be able to tell who is who.
> 
> Yay.
> 
> Uh
> 
> Comments and Kudos. That stuff. Yay.  
> \---------------------------------------
> 
> That was Taba on the verge of falling unconscious out of sheer need to sleep, you lot. Please, an applause.
> 
> Anyways, if anyone is gonna leave a comment or something, could you please thank Taba for her incredible work putting this together? This wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for her.  
> It is an honor and a pleasure to work with her, and both of us are having a blast with this shit!


	4. Right In the Feels

I don’t know when I woke up, all I know is it was the middle of the night and I can’t fall back asleep. All three cats hop off my bed and slip through my door, I eye them, sitting up in bed. I hear a voice and then the front door opening and shutting. 

I grab a blanket and wrap myself in it, stumbling out of my room. There’s nobody in the house. Dresden rubs against my legs, Taco going downstairs. I follow behind her, eyes wide open. On the table is a slip of paper with familiar handwriting.

“Sorry. Had to go to work.”

My eyes scan the note three times. Shaking handwriting, sloppier than before, and the words looked like lies. I frown, shaking my head and walking to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water. 

_Don’t overthink this. Anyways, if something was really the matter and he needed help… Maybe he wouldn’t come to me, but…_ I shake my head violently. _Stop. He had work. Okay. Stop. 1… 2… 3… 4… 5… 6… 7… 8…. 9… 10… okay. Get some water and go upstairs. Draw something._

I do what I tell myself to do, but the worry quietly worming it’s way up into my heart. I walk up the stairs before slipping into my art room, sitting down, putting my headphones in my ears, and spending the rest of the night like that.

~~~~

The next day comes and I wait until about one in the afternoon before I send a text to Jin.

“Hey, just wanted to see if you were doing okay? Lemme know if you need anything, okay?”

I shove my phone back into my pocket, going back to making lunch, I hum softly as I work. I finish and bring a plate upstairs to my brother.

Logan is on his laptop, trying to find a job. I smile at him and set his soup on his nightstand. “Here.”

Logan looks at me with a grin. “What? You sad because lover boy isn’t here?”

“If I said yes, you would tease me without mercy. If I said no, you would call me a liar and still tease me.” I turn around. “I see no point in answering your question.” I leave his room before he can say anything else.

I get my own food and eat it quickly before going over to the guest bedroom. I open the door and frown at the bedsheets being a mess. _Nightmare?_ I think, and carefully pull the sheets off of the bed, gathering everything up and bringing it to the laundry room. The sheets go into the washer and I turn the thing on.

I walk back over to the guest bedroom and check around to make sure that Jin hadn’t left anything there. Nothing.

I sigh quietly before leaving the room, closing the door behind me. My phone buzzes, but I ignore it, the tone not being one of importance. I plop down onto the couch, and open the book Jin was reading just last night.

My heart aches.

I curl up against the side of the couch and read.

~~~

Two more days go by.

I’ve sent him a total of 3 texts. All of which he has read, but not replied to.

Somehow that makes it feel worse.

I’n chopping some vegetables for a salad, my brother having found a job that he works through the day. I’m too busy worrying about Jin and I don’t realize we’re I’m putting the knife.

Blood.

I look down at the board which is covered in the red stuff, blinking, but feeling nothing. Almost robotically, I grab a paper towel, wrap it around my finger, and walk to the bathroom, grabbing the medicine kit. I wrap the cut in bandages and go back to the kitchen. I trash the vegetables on the board before filling one side of the sink with warm soapy water and dunking both the knife and the cutting board into there.

The front door opens and I hear some laughing. I poke my head out of the kitchen, spotting someone with white hair. My breath hitches until I realize the hair is way too long, and not the same pristine white as I’m used to. I shrink back into the kitchen, gathering my salad, and walking to the living room. I slip past my brother and his small group of friends, none of them paying attention to me.

I got into my art room and sit down, passing out in the chair.

I’m being shaken awake by someone. “Hey.” A voice says.

I crack my eye open. It’s Logan, concern evident on his features. “Holy shit, Katrina are you okay?”

I stare at him. “I’m fine.” I say softly.

My dreams are a better place. He’ll be there so there is be no need to worry. I shift away from my brother. “Katrina, come on.” He says, rubbing my arms.

I flinch away from his touch and blink slowly. “Look. I’m depressed. I’m about ready to try and sleep the rest of my life.”

“Why? He didn’t reject you.”

“Sure as fucking hell feels like it!” I shout, tears coming to my eyes.

“He wouldn’t take you on two dates, be that protective over you, and kiss you twice if he wasn’t somewhat attracted to you.” Logan says, sitting down in front of me.

“Except he left. Reads my texts, doesn’t reply.” I look down at my lap. “And I’m probably being selfish by saying shit like that. He has a job. Maybe he can’t text me. I just… I just wish…” I turn in my chair and slam my head down on my desk. “I can’t be this selfish.” I mutter to myself, moving my head back to smack it against the table again.

Logan grabs my shoulders and holds me still before I can. “Katrina.” He says in a even tone. “Think logically for five minutes, you’re good at that. You’re the best.” Logan wraps his arms around my shoulders and rests his chin on top of my head. “Would Jin want you to do hurt yourself?”

I blink and bite my lip. “I don’t know.” A light pink blush forms on my cheeks.

“I don’t think he would. I think he would want you to live as normally as you can until he can come back.” Logan says softly.

My teeth press harder into my lip and I reach up, gripping Logan’s arms. “F-Fuck…” I say, shaking. “I-I just… I don’t wan-want him to-to be hu-hurt.” I feel tears start to gather in my eyes but I shut them tightly. “I-I have n-no way t-t-to know that! I-It hurts…” I say nails digging into my brother’s arms. “God, it hurts my heart so much.”

Logan gently kisses the top of my head. “I know, I know. Kat, come on. If he doesn’t come back tomorrow I’ll go and try to find him, okay?”

I loosen my grip on his arms before nodding, sniffling a bit. “O-Okay.” I say.

Logan moves his arms and comes to sit in front of me, brushing my hair out of my face. “Who’s my strong little sister? My big strong little sister?” He asks softly.

I let out a small laugh, rubbing my eyes. “I-I can’t be a big strong little sister. I don’t think it works like that.”

“Course it can!” Logan says cheerfully. “You want me to make you some tea?”

I look at him and nod. “I think I’m gonna hang out on the couch though.” I say softly.

Logan nods before picking me up. I wrap my arms around his neck and he walks down the stairs before depositing me on the couch. He leaves to the opposite way of the kitchen and my eyebrows furrow. Logan comes back with a pillow and hands it to me. I look at him in confusion before laying down in it. A familiar scent hits me and I blink before laughing softly. It’s faint, due to only being used for maybe an hour at the least, three at most.

Logan goes to the kitchen and I hear him fill up the tea pot. I snuggle with the pillow, savoring the faint scent, burrowing my face into it. I laugh at myself internally. _I always said I wouldn’t be one of those girls who would do this shit. God. What the hell._ Tears start to well up again and I force them back, my nails digging into my arm. _Don’t fucking cry. Stop. You get too fucking attached to people. STOP. Prepare for him to never come back_. “STOP!” I yell out loud, startling my brother who was putting my tea down.

My nails dig deeper into my arm and I let out my breath with a gasp before sitting up, clutching the pillow to my chest. Logan eyes me. “Are yo- YOU’RE BLEEDING!” He screeches.

I wince as I remove my nails from my arm. Logan comes running in and wraps the wound up, before giving me a glare that was filled with worry. “Drink your tea and I’m gonna put on a movie. You’re gonna sit here and watch it. I’m gonna get food and if you have moved at all by the time I get back then I will…” He sighs before shaking his head. “Be careful. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

I nod and Logan presses a kiss to my forehead before putting on Lilo and Stitch. He leaves and I do as instructed, sipping my tea and watching the movie.

Logan comes back about thirty minutes later with some disgusting greasy fast food. Exactly what I needed.

He plops down and hands me some of it, and we eat in relative silence.

“So, you really love him, huh?” Logan says.

My entire face heats up with a vibrant red. My head whips around to look at Logan. “W-WHAT? N-NO!” I stutter out.

Logan locks eyes with me. “You really love him, don’t you?” My pulse quickens and I stare at him. “You know. You wanna spend time with him, a lotta time with him. You wanna make sure he’s okay, more than you do with just a friend.” He reaches over and rests two fingers on my neck where he can feel my pulse. “Your heart is racing…Yep. You really are.”

I push his hand away from my neck and clutch the front of my shirt, sending him a death glare. “S-So what if I am?”

Logan’s face brightens to about the level of the sun. “Really?” I look away, nodding a bit. “Oh, my lil sis.” Logan gathers me in his arms and squeezes me. “He better not break your heart. Or I’ll murder him.”

I laugh. “Please don’t. You know how I am. Even if he left I would probably still love him so killing him would still hurt me.” My face turns even redder. “Jesus.”

Logan’s grip changes and he starts to tickle me. I giggle and kick my feet. “Aw, lil sis is growing up and finding a hottie to fall in love with.”

I squirm out of his grip and huff. “Fuck off, Logan.”

He grins and gets up. “I’m headed off to bed.”

“It’s early isn’t it?” I say, chewing my lip.

“I gotta be somewhere early in the morning.” He says, ruffling my hair.

I mod a bit and he presses another kiss to my forehead before walking up the stairs. I sit on the couch for hours, just blankly staring at the TV, my cats curled around me.

~~~

I apparently fell asleep on the couch, and the thing that’s waking me up is my cats meowing to feed them. I get up, throwing the blanket someone, probably Logan, had thrown over me. I rub my eyes and get their food. I make myself a cup of coffee, a pot already having been brewed.

I pull out my phone and send one more text to Jin, already knowing he won’t respond.

“I’m really worried. I’m sorry if I did anything. I’ll stop the once-a-day messages starting today. It’s probably annoying. Please contact me at some point…? If you don’t want to that’s okay too.”

I sign and put my phone on the counter, moving back to the couch and sipping my coffee.

I finish the cup and get up to get another one when there’s a soft knock on my door. I blink and set the cup down before walking over to the door.

When I open it…

“Jin…” I breathe out.

He looks like he hasn’t slept in weeks, his hair is a mess too, and he’s holding a bouquet of flowers. We stare at each other for a long time before either cares to speak.

“I’m sorry.” He says, offering me the bouquet.

I blink at him and feel all the worry and anxiety inside of me puff up in my chest. I takes the bouquet and smack him on the head with it. “SORRY? HOLY FUCK JIN!” Tears start to well up in my eyes and come tumbling down my cheeks. “FUCKING SORRY? FUCKING GOD! I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE YOU HAD GONE! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD OR SOMETHING! I-I FUCKING! GOD FUCKING DAMN IT.” Tears rush down my cheeks and my hand with the bouquet in it loosens, the flowers dropping to the ground, and I stumble forward, my face pressing into his chest. “Fucking I didn’t know what the hell happened… I was so worried…” My hands grip my own shirt. “I-I…” I’m overtaken by sobs my hands moving to clench the bottom sides of his jacket.

A set of arms wrap around my trembling frame, pulling me flush with Jin’s body. I can hear his heartbeat, and I nuzzle against his chest, still crying but calming down. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Jin whispers into my hair. “God, I’m a fucking piece of shit, I’m so sorry.” 

I wrap my arms around him loosely, as he continues to repeat those words like a mantra. My shaking stops enough where I pull away from him just a bit. He pulls away from me and looks at me. “I’m so sorry.” He whispers again. “I’m a piece of sh-”

“NO! STOP! I’M NOT GONNA FORGIVE YOU!” I shout, stompin my foot down, and Jin flinches back, a rejected look on his face.

“O-Oh.” He makes a move to step back but I grab his hand.

“I’M NOT GOING TO FORGIVE YOU UNTIL YOU’RE PROPERLY BEEN FED AND FUCKING SLEPT! SOMEWHERE WHERE I CAN SEE YOU!” The tears are coming back full force, just rolling down my cheeks like a fucking fountain. “Please.”

Jin looks at me and allows me to pull him inside. I sit him on the couch, rubbing my eyes a bit and draping the blanket I had on my shoulders around him. I walk back into the kitchen and quickly makes some eggs and toast. I make two plates and carry them to the living room, handing Jin a plate. I set mine down on the table and go back to the kitchen, getting myself some coffee and Jin some water.

I bring it back and set both glasses down. I sit down on the couch and sniffle, rubbing my nose with my left arm, which suffered all damages of my stupidity.

“Hey, what… What happened…?” Jin asks and I look at him confused, so he motions to my arm, before a form of panic fills his eyes. “Are you okay?! Did someone hurt you?!”

I blink and look at him. “O-Oh. Uh. No, I just accidentally hurt myself.” I say quietly.

“Fucking… Christ… You idiot! You need to be way more careful!” He says, putting his plate of food down, the sound resonating through the room.

I flinch a bit. “S-Sorry.” My fists clench the bottom on my shirt tightly as I look down at my lap.

“No! No…” I look over at him. “I… Damnit…” He runs a hand through his hair again, looking more pissed at himself than anyone else. “I’m the one who should be apologizing here…” He lets out a short humorless laugh. “I guess I really am a useless piece of shit if I can’t even do that right…” 

I blink and gently let go of my shirt with one hand, resting that hand on top of one of his, gently lacing my fingers with his. My gaze returns to my lap and I feel tears start to well up in my eyes again. Jin’s hand holds mine in a comfortable grip and I feel tears continue to bubble up to the surface.

“Hey…” His voice is soft and I turn my head to look at him. “Can… Can I check those?”

I lift my left arm and blink. “My bandages?”

“Yeah…” He says softly, not looking at me.

“Sure.” I reply, voice soft.

He stands up before me and I pull myself up. We walk to the bathroom and Jin sits me down on the toilet before grabbing the first aid kit.

Jin carefully take my arm in his hands and unwraps the bandages on my finger. He looks at the cut before wrapping it back up in fresh bandages. “What was that one from?”

“Wasn’t paying attention when I was cutting up vegetables. Accidentally sliced my finger.” I say, watching him check on the other one.

“What’s under here..?” He asks.

“Uh… little half-moon shaped cuts from my nail… I was trying to keep my mind from spiralling out of control and I dug too deep…” I say.

Pain flashes across his face and I reach out with my free hand to gently cup his cheek. “Hey, hey.” I coo softly. “I was just being an idiot.” I lean forward and press my lips to his forehead. “Okay? It was an accident.”

Jins eyes flick up at my face and there’s still a lingering sadness there, resting beneath the surface. “I’m sorry…” he mutters.

“Well… Is the other bandage okay?” He nods a bit. “Come on. Let's get you fed and let you get some rest, okay?”

He nods and stands up, offering me a hand, which I take, and pulls me up as well. He doesn’t let go of my hand afterwards, just holds it tightly. I grip his hand gently as we walk to the living room again.

We sit back down and finish eating, letting go of each other’s hands. Once done, I stand up, grabbing both plates and bringing them into the kitchen. I walk back into the living room, and see Jin’s eyes following me. I smile a bit before sitting. back down in the couch. “Would you like the sleep now? Or later?” I ask, leaning my head against his shoulder gently. “I was kidding about the not forgiving you until you ate and slept… I forgave you already, you just look like you need it.” I rub my eyes, the tears springing back up. “S-Sorry. Imma crybaby.” I laugh a bit as the fresh tears roll down my face.

Jin wraps his arms around me and crushes me to his chest again, making me let out a small squeak. “I’m so sorry. Fuck, I’m so fucking sorry.” He whispers.

I frown, gently smacking his head. “I already forgave you, you don’t need to continue to apologize.” I say softly, rubbing the spot I smacked.

“You know, I really don’t get you…” Jin says with a little laugh, pulling his head away so he can look at me. “You’re too good to be true.”

My face heats up and I laugh, shaking my head. “And why exactly do you think that? If you would care to explain.”

He looks at me, a frown pulling at his lips. “I leave without a warning, don’t contact you for days, worry you half to death…” He sighs and looks away. “And you’re just going to forgive me…?”

A small smile works its way to my lips. “Yeah…” I say softly, looking at his face. “Well, l-…” My face heats up at my almost confession. “Certain emotions can make you do things that may seem illogical.”

His gaze returns to me. “You really shouldn’t… You really shouldn’t forgive me.”

“Why? Cause it’ll happen again?” I shake my head. “Look, we all have issues and I figure that it’ll happen again anyways. Something happened, it wasn’t a call from work, but I’m not going to press you about it.” I reach up and cup his cheeks gently. “I forgive you because it’s nothing you can control. I forgive you. You’re not gonna change my mind about that. Alright?”

Jin laughs humorlessly. "You are picking your poison... This a big mistake. A big big big mistake... But, God, I'm way too selfish to not make it anyway."

I’m about to ask him what he means but he leans down, sliding a hand up to tangle in the back of my hair. I lean forward and meet him halfway, moving my arms to drap around his shoulders. His lips are still incredibly soft, and moving gently with my own. We separate, our forehead resting together.

I let out a breathless laugh, opening my eyes to look at him. “So, who’s winning now?” I ask, a smile pulling at my lips.

Jin’s eyes open as well, and I become lost in the blue. He hums in thought. “Mmmm…” His eyes rest on my own. “Don’t know. Will require further investigation.”

I quirk an eyebrow. “Further investigation?”

Jin grins and wiggles his eyebrows. I look at him, covering my mouth with a hand and giggling, letting my head fall onto his shoulder.

I hear the front door open and I lift my head to look over at my brother who is staring at Jin, annoyed. “BITCH YOU CAN’T JUST COME WALTZING BACK IN HERE AND EXPECT THINGS TO BE JUST RIGHT AND DANDY WITH EVERYONE!”

I cough in amusement before dissolving into laughter, wrapping my arms around Jin and hugging him tightly and laughter racks my frame.

Jin looks down, the fragile smile on his lips disappearing. “Yeah… You’re right…” he says quietly.

My laughter stops and I frown, looking at him. A frown comes to my lips and I turn to look at my brother. “FUCKING! GOD FUCKING DAMN IT, YOU DISFUNCTIONAL CONDOM! WE WERE ABOUT TO MAKE UP!” I huff, my cheeks red.

Logan looks at me with shock in his eyes. “Y-You were?”

Jun also looks at me, the same shock in his eyes. “We were..?”

I puff out my cheeks in annoyance. “Yeah. We were. Now. If you’ll excuse us Logan, you can have whatever type of protective brother and…” I look at Jin for a moment. “And… Uh.” A thought comes to my head. “J-Jin talk later!” I glare at my brother. “He needs to sleep.”

“Jin talk?” Logan asks with a raised eyebrow.

I huff. “You know what I mean.” 

“Don’t you mean ‘protective brother and boyfriend’ talk?” Logan asks.

“FUCKING YOU TWO CAN JUST TALK! GOD FUCKING DAMNIT.” My cheeks are red.

I hear a soft chuckle and I turn to look at Jin. He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me closer to him. “Ooooooh?~” He says. “If I’m the boyfriend, what does that make you?~” He grins.

My eye twitches and I push his arm from off of me. “If you’re the boyfriend, that makes me want to get out of here.” I say jokingly, a smile pulling at my lips.

Logan makes a face. “Okay, forget it.” I look over at my brother. “You two are gonna make me puke. Get out of here.” He says, running up the stairs.

“THIS IS MY HOUSE YOU OVERGROWN MONKEY!” I shout after him, my cheeks puffed out again.

I hear Jin chuckle softly at our antics before wrapping his arms around me and pressing his face into my back. “You two sure are a loving family.” He mutters into my back.

A smile tugs on my lips again and I reach back, ruffling Jin’s hair gently. “You ready for some sleep?” I ask softly.

He nods a bit and stays in place for a minute or so before pulling away and standing up. We walk over to the guest bedroom and I open the door for him. “Are you gonna be okay in here?” He nods a bit. “Well, I’ll be in the living room if you need me.” I say, taking a step back.

Jin gently grabs my arm and holds me in place. I look over at him and am met with pleading eyes. “Can you stay..? Please..?”

A soft, kind smile comes to my lips and I nod. “Of course.” I say, walking into the room, shutting the door behind me.

We walk over to the bed and I grab a few extra pillows from the closet in the room, while Jin gets comfortable. I toss the pillows onto the bed, giggling when one hits Jin in the face. “Sorry.” I say between my giggles.

Jin just laughs and I slip into the bed beside him, not getting too close for his own comfort. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me closer, shutting his eyes. I watch his face slowly relax until he’s asleep. A smile pulls across my lips and I press a kiss to his forehead before settling down myself and falling asleep.

\------------------------------------------

Jin wakes up in bliss. There is no other way to describe the loving embrace he is tugged in.

...

Still weird to think about the L word, okay.

Smiling to himself, he observes Kat’s asleep face, palely illuminated by the night’s lights.

God, she is beautiful.

He swiftly caresses the side of her cheek. She nuzzles a bit against his hand, and, lost in her slumber, smiles.

If he could waste the hours, just being here, with this sight, he would.

But nature calls. Oops. Avast, to the toilet! For the strength and veracity of this binding shall not be tested on cold (and unhygienic) waters!

Carefully, he unwraps himself and leaves in silence.

Phew, okay. Now, time to return to his beloved’s side.

...

God, he has to stop reading romantic trashy novels.

At the exist of the toilet, he however encounters someone he wasn’t expecting.

"You know, you’re not Batman."

Stepping out of his half-assed attempt of a hiding spot it’s Logan, Kat’s... Brother? Cousin? Was it brother? He seems annoyed. "I am not saying that I am Batman, but nobody has seen Batman and me in the same room at the same time."

"By that logic, Schrodinger’s cat is also Batman. Or even that whinny playboy, Bruce Wayne."

His expression relaxes. "Nah, that is impossible." He seems to catch himself not being angry or annoyed, and immediately turns his expression sour. Jeez, this guy has a pretty big stick up his ass. "Don’t distract me! I have come to be angry at you, threaten you and be a good bro."

Jin raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms skeptically. "Well, do go ahead. Be my guest."

The guy opens his mouth. And it remains open. And it remains open. Aaaaaaaand... It closes. Red invades his cheeks and his expression indicates great deals of annoyment towards himself. That must run in the family.

Jin claps softly and mocks him. "Now, if you are done wasting everyone’s time, I will head back to bed, with my wonderful girlfriend" Mental note: SHE MUST NOT FIND OUT HE SAID THAT. "and sleep."

He has done half of his way when he hears Logan’s voice again, dead serious now. "Jin." He turns around to see a stern and serious expression, eyes hard. "If you break her heart, I’ll kill you."

He smiles. "Tell you what, if I do, I will let you do it."

Logan puffs and shoots him an annoyed look. Seriously, does that run on the family? "I could do it anyway."

He rolls his eyes. "No, no you couldn’t, you scrawny chicken-man. Hit the gym a few months, then we talk. And try not to stare too much at my ass while I walk."

With that, he turns around and makes the rest of the way to the bedroom.

He walks in silence, careful to not wake her up.

Only when he is laying down by her side does he notices that she is awake. And almost had started crying.

Without a word, he hugs her and presses her head against his chest. "Hey hey hey, what’s wrong?"

He can feel a few tears rolling down his shirt. "I thought you were gone again..."

Deep, very deep inside of him, something hurts. What had he fucking done to this poor wonder?

He moves, and lays besides her, face to face. "I am not going anywhere..."

God, he hates seeing her cry. "P-Promise...?"

He nods. "Promise."

Kat closes her eyes. "Okay..."

The hug again, both with their eyes closed. They just enjoy being together.

"By the way, Logan really likes my ass."

"And who doesn’t?~"

"Ouch. No pinching."

"I sowwy."

"Liar."

"Yep.

They fall asleep together, both smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Faggot here, bringing you the last jam! I mean, the end notes.
> 
> White haired asshole is my baby, annoyed goofballs bro and sis are Taba’s.
> 
> Anyways, leave a comment, kudos or whatever the fuck you want dude, I ain’t the boss of you. Oh, and thanks for taking the time to read this. Every visit makes us both happy.
> 
> PS: Taba is awesome, beautiful and incredibly talented.
> 
> PPS: Faggot is fucking awesome, amazing, cute, great, fucking adjectives, and extremely helpful with ideas and great at writing as well. Fucking. He doesn't give himself enough credit. ~Taba (Fucking fucker.)


	5. Wanna see me Make you cry? Wanna see it Again?

When I wake up again, I’m back in a comfortable embrace. My eyebrows furrow a bit as I open my eyes. Jin’s face is right by mine, sharing my breath. His face is relaxed and peaceful. A smile forms on my lips, the sunlight filtering through the blinds hitting his hair and making it shine. It’s almost as if a halo formed around his head, a silent giggle escapes my mouth at the thought. _He’d be an odd angel…_ I think with a smile.

I shift a bit, and Jin’s arm falls onto the bed. I blink and go to move it back before noticing the sleeve is rolled up a bit due to sleep. I go to pull the sleeve back down, but my fingers meet skin that’s rippled and dry. My eyebrows furrow and I very carefully feel out to where the area begins. I bite my lip and reach up to his sleeve, pulling it back down.

 _He keeps it covered for a reason._ I think before lacing my fingers with his and gently rubbing the back of his knuckles with a thumb. _I already think I saw… well felt in this case, too much._ I move so my face is pressed against his chest. _But dry rippled skin… burns? They would have the be extensive burns if they were that bad and still there. It didn’t happen recently because he probably would’ve felt my hand._ A frown pulls on my lips and I pull away from his chest a bit, thinking and chewing my bottom lip. _Well… I’m sure if he wants to tell me he will… Yep yep. I wouldn’t wanna be pressure about something like that. So I won’t do it to him. Should I mention it? Tell him sorry..? Fuck…_

The hand I’m holding tightens it’s grip, causing me to look up. My eyes meet icy blue ones and my breath hitches a bit. “Morning.” Jin says softly, with a small smile pulling on his lips.

I can’t help but stare at him for a few minutes more than necessary before sputtering out. “M-M-Morrning!”

That prompts the smile to turn into a grin and a laugh. “I know I’m hot, but you don’t have to look at me like I was aflame.” He winks at me.

My teeth dig into my lip at the joke, but I let out a small giggle. “Good one.” I say softly, gripping his hand tighter.

Jin reaches up with his free hand and pulls my bottom lip away from my teeth. “The more you keep doing that, the more tempted I’m gonna be to bite that lip of yours.” He says in a low voice.

A dark blush rises on my cheeks and I avert my gaze, rubbing the back of his knuckles with my thumb. He keeps his eyes on me and when I turn back there’s a touch of concern in there. “You okay?” 

I meet his gaze and hold it for a long time, pressing my lips together. “Yeah…” I say finally. “Want me to make some breakfast?” I tilt my head to the side.

Jin chuckles and pulls me closer, mouth next to my ear. “I think you’ll do just fine for breakfast.~” He purrs out.

My face blooms into a brilliant red and I push him away. “You’re insufferable!” I exclaim with nothing but affection behind those words.

Jin’s grin widens and he brings my hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it. “Thank you, my lady.”

I pull a face and yank my hand out of his grip. “Come on.” I huff out, rolling off of the bed.

We meet up by the door and I give him a bright smile before opening the door. Outside are my three cats and they looked pissed. “Oh, hi babies.” I say, crouching down.

Dresden walks over to me and meows loudly at my face and bites me when I go to pet him. Taco also attacks my hand with a meow, and Crookshanks just glares at me. I wince and pull my hand away before standing back up. “Okay, I deserved that.” I mutter.

Jin is laughing beside me, and I turn to look at him. “Awwwwww, your babies are jealous.~” He grins.

I snort and walk over to the kitchen, my cats following me and weaving around my legs, almost making me trip. “JESUS! CALM THE FUCK DOWN! IMMA FALL BABIES!” I shout, grabbing the wall. 

The cats just look up at me, shooting me a glare, even though they’re too cute to really do that. I send them a glare back before walking into the kitchen, Jin behind me, just laughing.

My brother is standing in the middle of the kitchen looking confused. “Morning disfunction condom.” I say, brushing past him and getting the kitties fed.

“What the fuck?” Logan asks, looking at me. “Where have you been?”

I turn to him and blink. “Sleeping…?”

“You literally slept fully and continuously from like 10 at night to like 9 in the morning. Who are you and what have you done to my sister?” Logan asks, eyeing me.

My eyebrows furrow. “I slept that long?”

“Yeah.” Logan looks back at Jin who’s just hanging out in the doorway of the kitchen. “Are you fucking magical or some shit?”

Jin looks at my brother and winks. “Baby, you know it.”

I watch them carefully, quirking an eyebrow as I pull stuff out for pancakes. “Why are you calling me Baby?” I hear Logan ask. “You called my sis your gi-”

In a flash, Jin slapped his hand over Logan’s mouth and is giving him an icy stare. “We aren’t going to speak of that, capiche?” Logan nods. “Also, holy fuck, you have a mouth as smooth as a baby.”

“Dhxowjbekf.” Logan’s reply is muffled by the hand on his mouth.

“Oh, right.” Jin moves his hand from Logan’s mouth. “Sorry.”

“It’s the after-shave.” Logan says with a proud grin.

“More like the after gay…” I say, loud enough for the two to head.

I look over at my brother, his face red, and Jin, who’s laughing. Not the free laugh I’ve heard once and am still attempting to get him to do again, but it’s still a laugh.

Logan huffs before glaring at the two of us. “You know. Both of you are dicks!”

“Actually, you’re the dick Logan.” I say with a wink. “I mean, you are what you eat.”

A grin stretches across Jin’s face and he nudges Logan. “Here that? Me neither. That was your dignity.” Jin chuckles.

Logan’s face flushes a dark red and he glares at both of us. “YOU KNOW WHAT?! YOU TWO ARE FUCKING PERFECT FOR EACH OTHER! FUCK BOTH OF YOU!”

“I mean, I don’t want a threeway, specially if one person is my bro. So I think I’ll hafta pass on that.” I say, playfully frowning.

“YOU KNOW THAT’S NOT WHAT I MEANT!” He yells.

“I mean, it sure sounded like what you were saying.” I tilt my head to the side. “I mean you did say: ‘fuck both of you’ so I’m just declining. That’s all.” 

“I FUCKING HATE YOU KATRINA!” Logan yells and stomps up the stairs. 

“I LOVE YOU TOO, LOGANNA!~” I call after him.

A proud grin is stretched across my face, and I hear laughter, still not the one I love to death, to my right coming from Jin. His hand is on the wall, him doubled over, laughing and wheezing. I grab a glass and some water, bringing it over to him. “Here.”

Jin looks up, tears of mirth formed in his eyes. He takes the glass and downs the water, still chuckling a bit. “That was good.” He says, mirth in his voice.

My grin widens and I place my hands on my hips, proud of myself. I look at him and smile brightly. “So! I’m gonna make pancakes, wanna help?”

Jin chuckles and shakes his head, a pink blush rising on his cheeks. “I’ll pass.”

I pout. “Oh come on, it’ll be fun!” I tilt my head to the side. “Can you not cook?” His blush darkens. “I’ll take that as a yes. Well it’s really simple stuff. Can I try to teach you?”

“Uh… I’ve tried to learn, never seems to work.” Jin scratches the back of his head.

“Well.” I purse my lips. “I’m gonna try.” I say with a confident smile and determination.

Jin sighs and laughs. “Fine fine.”

My smile brightens and I gently take his hand, pulling him over to the counter.

Oh

My

God.

Mistakes were made.

I asked him to mix up the pancake batter.

Batter ended up everywhere.

On Jin.

On myself.

On the counters.

On the cats.

On the floor.

On the ceiling…

He looks like he feels bad under that ‘I told you so’ look. A giggle rips itself out of my throat and I reach up, patting his head. “At least you’re still hot.” I say between giggles.

He lets out a chuckle and looks at the mess he made. “Shit, I’m sorry.”

I continue to giggle. “Not the worst this kitchen has seen.”

Jin stares at me, a small blush forming on his cheeks and a smile pulling on his lips. Then he looks around the kitchen and swears softy. “How did I get some on the ceiling?”

“Not sure, cutie.” I say, looking up myself.

“Excuse me,” I look over at Jin who’s frowning at me. “I’m not cute. I’m hot as fuck.”

I roll my eyes, a blush forming on my cheeks. “Right, right. Sorry, hot stuff.” I say, amused.

“Better.” He says with a grin.

I look back up to the ceiling and a glob of batter hits me smack on my forehead. I laugh and wipe it off with my shirt before looking at Jin. “Do you want to take a shower or something?”

“With you?~” He asks, wiggling his eyebrows.

“Nope.” I shoot him a saucy grin. “I think some of my bro’s clothes will fit you. Unless you wanna…” I bite my lip and look off to the side. “I mean, it’d be better if you went home and got your own clothes, huh?” I cross my arms over my chest, mildly digging my nails into my upper arm to try to quell my anxiety.

Jin carefully reaches over and gently pulls my arms apart, sliding his hand down to grasp my own. He takes my other hand in his own, gently squeezing my hands. I look at him, frowning a bit and he sends me a reassuring smile.

 _His hands are so soft…_ I think, squeezing his hands back.

Our eyes lock together and I feel heat rise on my cheeks, but I can’t pull my eyes away. His eyes are so beautiful and my breath hitches again.

“Hey,” he starts and I blink, breaking out of my thoughts, “guessing game. Is this hair or flour?” He asks, eyes flicking up to his hair.

I blink a couple of times and laugh softly at the absurdity, a smile tugging at my lips. “I think that’s hair.”

He stays silent for a while. “Ding ding ding! You’d be correct!”

“Do I get a prize?” I ask jokingly, with a giggle.

“Yep!” Jin says cheerfully.

“What’s my prize then?” I laugh, tilting my head to the side.

Jin smiles at me, it’s a warm smile. “You want to come over to my house?”

I blink, furrowing my eyebrows. “Why do you ask?”

“Because.” He gestures to himself with our conjoined hands. “I do need a shower and change of clothes.” I nod. “But, I want to be selfish and bring you with me.” Jin shoots me a flirtatious wink. “Sound good?”

My face heats up and I nod. “Let me shower first, though. Is that alright?”

“Perfectly fine, beautiful.” He says before pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Go along now.” He says, letting go of my hands.

I smile at him and shake my head. “Need to clean up the kitchen first.”

“I got it.” Jin says, then pats my butt. “Go on now.”

A blush comes back up to my cheeks and I nod, going up the stairs and walking to my bathroom. I shower quickly and pull on some comfortable clothes which consists of leggings and a baby blue baggy long sleeved shirt that falls off one if my shoulders and ends right under my butt. I brush out my hair before walking downstairs, slipping on a pair of shoes. I go over to the kitchen…

It’s literally spotless…

_W-What..?_

Jin is standing in the middle of the room and turns when he hears me. I blink at him. “I could kiss you right now. How the hell did you clean it up so fast?”

Jin grins and walks over to me. “Mmmmmagic.” He says, doing jazz hands. “And you could kiss me?~” He asks, leaning closer.

I take a step back. “After you get clean.” I smile at him. “Then I’ll consider it.”

He chuckles. “Fair enough.” He eyes me. “Ready to go?”

I nod a bit and fiddle with my hands. “Yep yep.”

Jin reaches over and takes on of my hands in his own before walking over to the front door. I stop. “I need to tell Lo-”

“Already told him.” Jin says with a wink.

Logan pops his head out and shouts, “GET SOME KAT!”

My entire face turns red and I shut my eyes tightly, wishing I could disappear. Jin chuckles beside me and opens the door. I wave to the kitties, who still look mad at me. _They really are jealous..._ I think, amused.

Jin and I walk over to a mustang parked in front of the house. I blink as he unlocks the doors and opens the passenger side, motioning for me to sit down. I do so and he shuts the door before getting in his side.

He drives us to his house in relative silence, and I just stare out the window for most of it. Before I know it the door is opened and a grinning Jin is standing there. “Welcome back to the present.”

A blush rises on my cheeks and I unbuckle myself, and take his offered hand. “You know, I’m not a princess. You don’t have to help me into and out of cars and stuff like that.” I say, eyeing him.

“You’re my princess.” Jin says with a flirtatious wink.

More heat rises up to my face and I glare at him. His grin widens and he walks to his front door. With a flourish, he opens the door and leads me inside. “And welcome to my castle.” Jin grins and pulls me inside.

I shut the door behind me before looking around. The first thing I notice is that the house itself is well illuminated, lights turning on when Jin flicks a switch. The second thing I notice is absurd amount of books lying on the floor in organized piles. It’s literally like a mini-labyrinth. Jin weaves through it easily enough, seeing as it’s his house, but I have a hard time finding my way through it. Jin seems to notice my struggle, chuckles, and walks back over to me. He offers his hand and I take it, him leading me through the maze to the living room.

There's a large TV mounted on the wall along with a sofa and two chairs. There’s a table sitting a little distance from the sofa. 

Jin lets go of my hand when we reach the living room. “Feel free to explore.” He shoots me a cocky grin. “Just don’t get lost.”

I snort. “I’ll try not to.”

He gives me a nod before walking to what I assume is his bedroom or the bathroom. I shrug and look over to see what I’m assuming to be a kitchen. I get excited until I remember the fact that my boyfriend- - can’t cook to save his life. “Might as well check it out.” I mutter to myself before making my way around the books.

I make it to the kitchen and feel disappointment hit me like a truck. It’s practically brand new still. Nothing seems to have been used except like dishes and silverware for food.

I walk over to the dishes drying in the rack, they seem to be mildly fresh. “He was eating at least…” I mutter to myself before letting out a sigh.

When I walk out of the kitchen, planning on making my way to the stairs, I knock over a pile of books. Luckily, it doesn’t knock over another pile, but I start to put them back. I blink at the titles.

They’re in a language I’ve never seen before. _Jesus… Is he a fucking genius or some shit? Oh god… If he is th-_ “Stop.” I tell myself sternly and under my breath, stopping my train of thought.

I check over some of the other piles of books and frown. I can at least name a few of the languages. Some Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, French, Japanese, Russian, and a bunch in languages I can’t identify. By the time I make it to the stairs I feel inferior to the guy.

I climb up the stairs and peek into one of the rooms there. Empty except for a bed and a few other necessities. The second room is the same. _Guest bedrooms_. I presume.

The third door opens to a huge room with papers everywhere. I pick one up and eye it. The words, if you can call them words, don’t make sense at all. I purse my lips and put the paper back down, noticing all the papers are in a nonsensical language. Scattered throughout the room are notebooks, and I pick one up, flipping it open to a random page.

Inside is some of the most detailed drawings of machinery along with weapons. All done in pencil and down the very last detail. My breath hitches as I flip through the notebook. I set the notebook down and turn around, walking through the books almost mindlessly. Before I know it, I’m sitting on the couch, sitting with my head in my hands, internally screaming.

 _FUCKING OKAY! HE’S SMART AS FUCK! CAN DRAW REALISTIC STUFF AT LEAST BETTER THAN I CAN AND EVER WILL BE ABLE TO DO! FUCKING HE KNOWS PROBABLY EVERY SINGLE LANGUAGE ON THE PLANET! LEMME GUESS! HE WAS A STRAIGHT A+ STUDENT TOO. And he has money, unless someone just literally donated a library and some historical exhibits to him and he just took all the books. Oh boy. Oooh boy_. I curl into myself and tangle my fingers into my hair. “Stop stop stop.” I mutter. _Who would want someone like you? Hm? Especially Jin. He’s probably better off without you._ “stop… please stop.” I whimper.

I shut my eyes tightly, nails digging into my scalp for a couple more seconds until my mind shuts up. I let out a soft breath, pulling my hands out of my hair. I lean back on the couch and stare up at the ceiling.

A couple minutes go by then I see a hand waving in front of my face. I blink a couple of times before looking at Jin. “Welcome back.” I say softly.

If he notices anything is up he doesn’t say anything, instead he hands me a book. I look at it, the title reading: “The Puss in the Boots.” I eye Jin and he smiles at me. “Open it.”

I flip open the front cover of the book that looks and smells like an original copy, and written in the first page is:

“For the most beautiful Kat among the cats.”

I flick my gaze back at Jin, who has a cocky grin on his face. I roll my eyes before reaching up, grabbing to collar of his shirt, pulling him down, and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. I let him go and smile warmly. “Thank you, Jin. I’m not more beautiful than a cat, but thank you.”

“Oh,” his grin gets wider, “but you are the greatest pussy.~” Jin covers his mouth with a hand and starts to giggle to himself.

A smile spreads across my lips. “You sure that spot isn’t already held by my older brother?” I ask sweetly.

Jin snorts. “Ass and pussy, Kat. Different animals.”

I laugh, pressing my lips together and covering my mouth with a hand. “Right right. Sorry.”

He chuckles and sits down beside me. “Did you have fun exploring?”

“Yep.” I say, leaning my head against his shoulder. “Didn’t realize you were such a good artist or knew so many languages.” I so softly, playing with my hands.

Jin shrugs, looking at me. “For art I just copy what I see.” His head leans against my own. “And I don’t really know the languages, I just translate the books.” He says softly.

 _Kay. Fuck. You’re inferior. What can you do? Practically nothing. Nothing at all. You can cook and draw from imagination. You are of no use to him. He’ll find out you’re useless soon enough._ “Stop…” I mutter to myself, not loud enough for my companion to hear, gripping the bottom of my shirt tightly.

\-----

What's wrong? Where has he fucked up? She thinks that he hasn't noticed, that much is obvious, but he is aware that she is feeling down.

He has seen the marks on her arms.

Why? Had she seen... Something?

No, there was nothing that could make her worried.

Everything dangerous was hidden, the notes were encrypted... So, what the hell had happened?

_Ask her._

"I am not going to just ask her."

_Why not?_

"It’s none of my business. And if she wants to tell me, she will."

The voice sighs. _My friend, you are far away from understanding the heart of a woman._

He doesn’t bother to think of a reply. He probably has a point.

"Jin?"

He opens his eyes to find a worried brown look. 

"Are you okay?"

Shit, since when was he so easy to read? You spend your whole life being a wonderful liar and suddenly, bam, someone starts to read it like an open book!

He shoots her a reassuring smile. "Sit on a sofa, with a wonderful girl? Couldn’t be better."

She blushes and smiles. Good, that’s good. And a smile is a patch for the soul. Well, then all he had to do is make sure she smiles as much as possible.

Oh, and blushing too. Always blushing. His cute little tomato.

_Aaaaaaawwwwwwww._

"Shut. The fuck. Up."

Her expression turns to curious. "You sure about that? You seemed... A bit annoyed? Just for a second tho."

IF THAT BASTARD WASN’T ALREADY DEAD, HE WOULD KILL HIM HIMSELF.

"Yeah, yeah. Just thinking about a coworker for a moment. A reeeeeally annoying one."

 _Ouch. Now you have hurt my feelings. I will leave you to think about your bad deeds. Good day to you, sir! Hmph!_  

And he even adds an effect of a slammed door. How the fuck...?

No matter. Good riddance to him, Kat is all that matters now. But, what could he...?

Agh. Fuck it.

"Kat." She looks into his eyes. DO NOT USE A PICK-UP LINE THIS IS A SERIOUS MOMENT. "Is anything wrong?"

Kat looks down at her lap, stiffens up and closes her hands. He notices that she is digging her nails into her palms. God... Her tone tries to sound casual, but... It’s almost like at her home. She just sounds so... Tired. And sad. "Everything is fine, why do you ask?"

This has to be his fault. It HAS to be. This is what he always did, right? First: Take her first kiss and then abandon her. Second: Make her have a panic attack with a stupid lie. Third: Make her care for him and then disappear.

Jin ever so carefully grasps her fingers and opens up her hands. Each red mark stings like a knife. He has the feeling that she could break into a shake. God, she is so delicate. So frail. He wants to keep her safe and happy, and all for himself. And yet, underneath all of that, she is way stronger than what even she knows. "Kat..." He isn’t going to pretend that he’s not begging at this point. He needs to know. So he can fix it. So he can fix himself. She deserves better than him. "Please..."

She wouldn’t look at him. Had he fucked up so badly? Of course he had. That’s all he had always been good at, hadn’t it? Hurting people. Hurting her... "It’s just something stupid... That’s the main thing at the moment... Nothing to worry about." Her lips pressed together in a tight line.

Jin feels lost. Worried. Guilty. She was too kind to tell him how had he fucked up.

But, he needs to know. He NEEDS to. "Kat, anything that happens to you is important. Please, tell me."

Still, she looks down. "It’s stupid. Just my stupid brain."

He can’t help it. His grip tightens, and, before he can think, he spills out: "Did I... Did I do something wrong again?"

WHAT?!

WHAT IS HE DOING?! TRYING TO MANIPULATE AN ANSWER OUT OF HER?! MAKE HER FEEL GUILTY?! YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! HOW DARE YOU?! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU, YOU GOOD FOR NOTHING?!

Giovanni had been right all those years ago. All he was good for was hurting others.

Kat’s gaze finally falls on him. Filled with panic and concern. See? This is all you are good for. "No! No, no, no! No, it’s no you. Overthinking again." She offers him a weak smile. She cared. She really cared for him. Why? He is hurting her. He is no good. And she is so wonderful. So kind. Even to a piece of shit like him, she is willing to spare an effort and make him feel better. And.. Just the thought of her willing to do an effort for his shake... It makes him feel... Like... Like when... "Brain is going places it shouldn’t. Just stupid stuff. Nothing to worry your pretty little head about."

Why? Why was she... So nice to him? Why?

He needs to know. He needs to know what’s wrong. He can fix this, he surely can. It’s not gonna be like... Like... Like... No. No no no no no no no no. NO.

He is just a pathetic piece of shit good for nothing, so it doesn’t matter if he does something bad, right? Right, bad people do bad things. He can manipulate her. He can use this kindness of her agaisnt her. "Please, whatever it is, you can tell me. It would actually help me to stop worrying."

The moment he sees the pain in her eyes, he knows he has done.

Perfect. Absolutely perfect... Isn’t this what you wanted? ISN’T IT, YOU PIECE OF SHIT?! YOU WANTED HER TO HURT! TO FEEL LIKE A PIECE OF SHIT FOR NOT TELLING YOU!

Well, congratulations, you sure did a fine job.

Scum. He is pure scum. Giovanni always said it. He was the worst of the worst. Always acting for a selfish reason.

She keeps silent, but her barrier is broken. Finally, she speaks, trying to put a humor into her voice that she didn’t feel. For him. Again. After he had hurt her so badly. "Just don’t call me an idiot for thinking this... I already know I am..."

Hahahaha. Good job! You truly showed her, didn’t you? You truly hurt her.

SCUM! FUCKING MAGGOT! DO WHAT YOU ARE TOLD! THAT’S ALL YOU ARE GOOD FOR!

He... He can be better. HE CAN BE BETTER THAN THIS. He can be like... Like... Like her! He can put a brave front for her sake!

"Heh, I will save it for another time." He moves one of her hands over the opposite of his, and then, his free hand over the rest. "Please, go on."

"Well... from my snooping..." She winces. "That's a bad way to put it. From my exploring, I was looking at all the books you have. In so many different languages and a lot of them old. Then when I went upstairs and saw the notebooks filled with such amazing drawings. There's so much detail..." She looks down at her lap. The notebooks. Another thing that Giovanni had been right about. Hobbies are just distraction. Do what you are told. You are worthless. DO WHAT YOU ARE TOLD, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! "I just feel... Inferior. Like you have these talents, maybe I only know two, but I don't doubt you have many more, and I feel inferior. All I can do is cook and draw, and even then... I'm no master chef, and I'm not even close to being at the top of the charts for art, or even close to you. You draw what you see, you have a talent for it. It just makes me feel like you're going to leave, once you realize how I'm not special. At all. A-And you deserve better anyways. B-Better than me, someone with more talent..." A few tears fall down from her face and land on the bottom of her shirt, darkening the color. "It's stupid, I know, but..." Her voice trails off.

Heh.

Heheheheheheheheh!

He can’t do anything right... Not even have a normal life. Him, just... Existing was already enough to hurt others.

Him being him. He wasn’t any good. He never was.

And now... He was hurting this precious wonder.

He doesn’t even register his words. "So, it is my fault..." What were you expecting? "Pffft hehehe... I really am such a piece of shit..." Maggot, useless, pathetic. "I never even considered how you would feel... Always, me, me, me. Heh..." He looks away from her. Be better. For once, be better. Do what you should, not what you want to. "I am not nearly good enough for you... Yeah, you should..." He lets go of her hands. "Just... Find someone better."

Please, go. Please, PLEASE, go. Leave him. He was just... So selfish. And... And he can’t... Not again... Please... God, if you are there... PLEASE!

She stiffens at his words before letting out a soft laugh. "Right... Let me just walk away and go find someone else to fall in love with." She gently grabs his hands, not looking at him still. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do that. You're not nearly good enough for me? You have issues, I get that. Sure, it hurt when you left and didn't contact me for four days. It doesn't hurt that you're more talented than me. You're not a piece of shit. My mind goes to places where others don't." She takes a deep breath before looking up at him, determination in her eyes behind the tears. "I'm not going to walk away. Nothing you say, do, or show me could make me do that." The corners of her lips quirk into a small smile. "Unless you wanted me to leave. But I hope you know that that would hurt a lot."

Love. She said...

LOVE.

Love... Love...

He remembers how their voices sounded. And how all of them had said...

I love you.

No.

NO.

NOT HER TOO. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, NO. NONONONONONONO.

He steps away. His back hurts. His arm hurts. His leg hurts.

His face transformed into a mask of panic. PLEASE. PLEASE. NOT AGAIN.

"You..." PLEASE. "You can’t... I... Please... You can’t..."

He can’t see her expression. The periphery of his vision is filled with red from the pain.

"Jin...?" YOU’RE HURTING HER. AND YOU ARE GONNA DO SOMETHING WORSE. NONONONONONONONONO. PLEASE... PLEASE! "Wh-What’s wrong? You are scaring me..."

So frail... It will not take any effort to break her.

His leg fails him, and he falls.

He doesn’t notice being on the ground. He doesn’t notice her besides him.

He is very far away.

He is on a city of little building, made of a stone very similar to the desert that covered every street.

They are there.

And they love him.

And.

They die.

He doesn’t notice himself speaking.

"Please... Please... Not again..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY BABUS! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! -Taba (Who is currently laying in bed on the verge of real human tears.)
> 
> Hey, Faggot here, author of the angst part of this chapter. Taba is... Uuuuuuuh... Bussy... Anyways, thank you so much for reading this. Leave kudos, comments, whatever.  
> Man, she isn’t gonna forgive me in weeks...


	6. We Are Off To A Good Start.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faggot here! I wrote a lot this chapter, so I apologize if you guys find the quality being worse.
> 
> Taba here! :3 I think what Faggot means there is uh, the quality being a lot better.

My body seems to move on its own, carefully wrapping my arms around Jin, pulling him close. He doesn’t move, only continues to whisper to himself. I sit like that for what feels like hours but could’ve only been a few moment before everything falls silent except for our breathing.

Carefully, I scoop the now passed out man up into my arms. His weight strains my muscles as I weave through the labyrinth of books. I make it to his room and carefully open the door, slipping inside, and shutting the door behind me. Jin’s body feels like dead weight and I lay him on his stomach on the bed.

 _Okay… He may have gotten a bruise on his back from falling… Invasion of privacy… Fuck, Fuck. Okay._ I shake my head. _I need to make sure he’s not hurt._ I gently lift up his shirt over his back.

It’s littered with scared and two large burned areas encompassing his shoulder blades. They almost look like angel wings. I cover my mouth with a hand and choke back tears. _Who could’ve done this…? Whoever they are they better wish they’re fucking dead…_ I bite my lip, hard, before checking along his back some more. Tears well up as I continue to look before finding a bruise on the bottom right of his back. I frown at it and move away from him, walking to the bathroom. I pull out a bottle of pain medication and walk back, setting it down on the bedside table for when he woke up.

I tug his shirt back down, flipping him onto his back, mindful of his bruise, before covering up him with a blanket. I walk back out into the living room and notice a pile of books had been knocked over. A small, sad smile pulls across my lips and I pick up the books, setting them onto the pile again.

As I reach for the last book, the only one that happened to have opened, going to pick it up, but pause. There’s a highlighted quote on the page and I pick up the book to read it.

“All human wisdom is summed up in two words; “wait” and “hope”.”

A hopeful smile finds its way across my face and I eye the book. It looks worn. I gently close the book and run a hand over the front. It feels loved, like an old friend. My smile warms as I set it on top of the pile. I walk over to the couch and pick up the book Jin had given me not too long ago before making my way back to the bedroom. I climb up onto the bed, leaning against the headboard, sitting next to Jin, and start to read.

Hours go by, and every so often I’ll find myself drifting off, but I shake myself away. Every so often Jin will let out a whimper in his sleep and I pull my fingers through his hair and press a kiss against his forehead.

Morning comes without me even realizing it. Well, “morning.” It’s about 6 when I slip off the bed, and walk to the front door. I pull on my boots and grab my purse, walking out the door. I set a quick pace, walking to the nearby grocery store.

The shelves feel huge around me, like they’re almost going to cave in on me. I ignore it, focusing on what I need to grab. “You can break down later…” I mutter to myself. “First let’s focus on this.”

The rest of the trip goes by smoothly and without any interaction with anyone else. Other than the obligatory smile and nod at the cashier. And a warm: “thank you” to the person for bagging my groceries.

I walk back, some eggs, juice, milk, bread, and butter on hand. I enter the house again, dropping off the groceries in the kitchen, then walking to the bedroom, checking on Jin. He’s still asleep.

With a small sigh of relief I go back to the kitchen, weaving through the books expertly. I get to the kitchen and manage to find the pans and a spatula. The eggs get cracked, whisked up, and poured into the pan. I keep an eye on them while I put some of the toast a toaster that’s sitting on the counter.

The eggs hiss at me and I turn, carefully moving them around.

The next thing I manage to find are plates and some silverware. I silently congratulate myself and go back to the eggs. They’re not quite done.

The toast pops up and I put a slice on each plate, buttering each. I manage to find two cups, pouring juice in one and milk in the other, before putting them in the fridge. I walk back over to the stove and pull the eggs off the burner, scooping them up onto the plates.

A fork goes on each plate, and I pick them up. I expertly balance the cups and plates in my arms before weaving around the books again. When I open the door to Jin’s room, he’s sitting up. His eyes are almost cold, piercing through me. I shiver but hold his gaze.

“Why are you still here..?” He asks, voice soft, but as icy as his gaze.

\-----

Waking up with up with a headache is bad.

Waking up from a nightmare is bad.

Waking up after passing out during a panic attack is...

Way too well known for comfort.

And he has the whooooole package.

Yaaaaaaaaay...

He opens his eyes. Ouch, okay. Light hurts. He squints his eyes, until, little by little he manages to open them.

He is in his room, under a blanket.

So... She has had to carry him here. What else would have...?

He moves a bit. Mmm? A bruise on his back... If he has that for falling, Kat may have been inclined to check his back... And...

He sits up, curls up a bit and puts his head against his knees. Jesus... She must be worried to the core.

Dammit. He panicked like an idiot.

What the hell had triggered that? Him overthinking stuff, probably.

He closes his eyes and sighs. He was such a fucking mess.

A determination appears in his mind. For her own good.

For her own good...

He makes sure to shoot her a cold glare when she enters.

The moment she shivers, he almost drops the act. Dammed be his principles, he can not see something like this.

For her own good...

With a soft, but cold voice, he asks her. "Why are you still here...?"

Words hurt her, but she refuses to fall down. She inhales deeply and approaches him.

Why couldn’t she stay there? It would have been much more easier.

She puts two plates of food on the table, crosses her arms and closes her eyes. "Drink this and eat that. Then, I’ll leave."

"Leave now." He keeps his tone cold.

She opens her eyes in shock, and tears start appearing on them. Her face changes from hurt to furious.

"FINE! You wanna know why?! Why the fuck am I staying here?!" She steps to besides the bed, moving her arms, screaming and with tears rolling down her cheeks. "WHY THE FUCK DO YOU THINK?! Cause I love you, okay?! I fucking love you! You are beautiful and funny and smart and...! And so great that it is almost fucking intimidating! I love you, okay?! And I want to see you better! If..." Her arms, head, and tone drop. "If... You w-want me to leave... I can d-do it later..."

It’s for her own-

Oh, DAMMIT ALL TO FUCKING HELL.

He grabs her arm and pulls. With a yelp, Kat falls over him. He controls her fall, leaving a little space between their faces. He looks into those beautiful teary eyes. She looks tired and sad and... Just done with everything.

With barely a whisper, she says such dangerous words. "I love you so much..."

She truly does, doesn’t she? Even if they were barely more than strangers, she does. And...

"I love you too..."

Kat suddenly stops. Mouth and eyes open a lot. Blush rushes over her. She closes her mouth and puts a bright big smile, even crying more now.

God, she is so beautiful.

They kiss, lips soft, her cheeks wet.

God, why the fuck took him so long to say this?

He is honestly too tired of hurting her and himself to give a shit about what is going to happen, or even if this is a good idea.

He is lost in the kiss.

When they finally separate, both are panting. And blushing. Albeit, there is quite a difference in intensity.

He smirks. "So, how was it?"

She blushes a bit more (amazing in it’s own right) and smiles a bit. "Will require further investigation.~"

They both laugh a bit.

_AAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWW._

Jin maintains the smile, while screaming inside his head... Yeah, this was his life. GOD FUCKING DAMMIT. "FUCK RIGHT OFF!"

_But it is so cute…_

"I WILL STOP READING TRASHY ROMANCE NOVELS."

_Whoa, man... Let’s not say thing we might regret…_

"FUCK. OFF."

 _YOU ARE SUCH A BULLY! THIS IS TRASHY ROMANCE OF THE GREATEST QUALITY._ As all response, a "GRRRRR" starts resonating inside Jin’s head. _Aaah... I shall return when you are feeling more cooperative and less... Murdery. Ciao ciao!~_

Okay. Jin focuses again in the real world... And finds Kat looking at him, giggling and covering her mouth with a hand.

He raises an eyebrow. She laughs even harder. "Your face... Pfffffffffffffffffffftttttttttt..."

Huh. Maybe he should let that asshole stay during conversations with Kat...

Nah. Nevertheless, a more urgent matter had to be dealt with.

"So, you reeeeally like laughing, don’t you...? He raises both hands menacingly.

Kat stops laughing. "No."

Jin gets closer. "Yes."

She extends both arms in front of her, motioning a negative with her palms. "No!"

Closer. "Yes!"

"NOOOOOOOOOO!"  
"YEEEEEEEEEES!"

And with both screaming simultaneously, the massacre begins. Her hands move around, trying to smack him or grab his wrists. But, alas, he is a veteran and continues the tickling mercilessly.

Until she accidentally kicks him with the talon of one of her feet. Right on the bruise.

His back tenses and he lets go of a breath in-between his teeth, very slowly.

Kat opens her eyes widely and instantly stops laughing and starts grabbing his hand. "I’m so sorry! I didn’t wanna-!"

He silences her with a quick kiss on the lips. Uh, you know, he could get used to this "use any excuse for a kiss" thing.

He gives her a reassuring smile. "It’s okay."

She doesn’t seem very convinced, but doesn’t insist. Instead, turns to the table and grabs a bottle.

"I completely forgot about this. Here." She offers him the bottle.

Cute moment over, huh? He sighs. This will not be a pleasant conversation.

"I appreciate the gesture, really... But..."

She scowls at him. "No buts! Don’t be an idiot and drink this shit!"

He sighs again. "Kat. Truth be told... Those kinds of drugs aren’t strong enough."

She blinks. "What...?"

DEFINITELY not a pleasant conversation.

"When I was a kid..." What? He got beaten up constantly? And then they would feed him meds? To beat him up again? No, he can’t tell her that. "I ended up developing immunity to most painkillers."

"You developed an immunity to most painkillers..." She taps her lips, frowning a bit. "So you need something really strong... I'm guessing that's somewhere. Want me to get it for you?"

Jin blinks. She wasn’t going to question it?

She is doing it for him, isn’t she?

This wonderful idiot... "If you don’t mind..."

She shoots him a smile. "Not at all."

Soon enough, she hands him the box.

He takes a quarter of a pill.

She is shooting him a worried look. "I don’t know much about meds and stuff... But, that’s Oxycodone, isn’t it?"

He stays silent for a few moments. "Yeah."

She bits her lip. Kat probably thinks the "wanting to bite her lips" was a joke. It really wasn’t. It was difficult to concentrate on anything else.

But he really doesn’t want to, now. That worried look is what has all his attention.

He really doesn’t want to talk about this. But she deserves it. "Kat. If you saw the bruise, then you probably saw..." He cuts her apology even before she can start. "No, no. It’s alright. It’s something I should tell you."

She grabs his hand and fondles the right side of his face. "You don’t need to..."

He grabs her hand and moves it to his lips. The kiss is soft. "But I want to."

Blushing a bit, she nods.

He lets go of her hands. "Lets see... The burns..." He shivers slightly. "I don’t think I’m ready to tell that one yet..." How his hair whitened no. Definitely no. "Oh, you asked about them when we met." At her confused stare, he signals to the left side of his face. On the cheek, and on the lip. The scars. "Since I was very little, a man took care" -trained- "of a group of orphans" -stolen children- "and me. He sometimes told us things to do" -gave us objectives- "that we didn’t find... Moral." -when they started to understand what they were doing- "So, we would complain and refuse to do it. I was the one that complained" -tried to protect them- "the most. So, he would make an example out of me. Beatings." -sometimes, he had also met the whip, starvation or the battery- "One day, he decided to make sure I learned my lesson." He closes his eyes. He doesn’t want to see her while telling this. "He beat me to a pulp." -with a pipe- "And, when I was completely sure it couldn’t hurt more... That’s when he took out the knife." -smile as bright as the blade- "He put it against my face," -right under his left eye- "and told me that I should learn to shut up." -always speaking when you haven’t been ordered to... going against your nature is bad for the health, you know?- "And... Well, you can imagine." -slowly, methodically- "And then threw me over with the others."

They both stay silent for a while, without looking at each other. "How old?" Jin looks at her. She has a determined expression. "How old were you?"

He sighs. "Nine. Nine years-old." That had been his birthday, actually.

"Jesus... Fucking hell..." She looks down at her lap. "I'm so fucking sorry, I know I can't change what the hell happened, but jesus christ... I can't even begin to imagine... God..."

"It’s okay. I really don’t remember it that much." He’s lying, of course.

"I... Christ..." She looks up and sets her hand on his cheek, gently running her thumb over the scar. "Fuck man..."

That takes him by surprise. People always avoid scars like they could get them by touching them.

"It’s okay." He grabs her hand and holds it gently. "It’s okay..."

She lets out a weak laugh. "It's not. It's in the past, yeah, but... That doesn't means it's okay..." She leans forward and presses a gentle kiss against the scar on his cheek. "I'm sorry."

Jin smiles a bit. "I can live with it. I hate it, because it's like a mark of slavery to me. But I can't really do anything about it."

Kat's eyes soften, a small smile pulling at her lips. "You can't really... But I'm not gonna lie, they do make you look hot as fuck. Which might be a dumb thing to say, since you got them from being beaten, but, like, it's the truth," She lets out a small, shy laugh. "Sorry if that was weird. I just wanted to get it off my chest. Bad timing, so sorry about that,"

She is way too nice with him to recognize how ugly those scars are.

He laughs softly. "Nice try, but I know that they are ugly as all hell..."

She shakes her head. "Maybe to you, but I think they are, in a way, beautiful." Her smile widens. "Then again, it may just be because they're part of you. And you're beautiful. Even with your scars." Her voice is soft, sweet, and loving.

He smiles a bit more. "I really appreciate it, but-" He feels something wet on his cheek.

He blinks as Kat retreats with the face at the darkest shade of red.

Did she...? Was that her tongue?

He stares at her. The blush intensifies. "DON’T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT! I DI-DID SAY I FIND THEM HOT!"

Huh...

Huh.

"Sorry, couldn’t quite get that. Care to repeat?"

"Fuck you!"

"Oh, wouldn’t you like that?~"

"FUCK. YOU."

\------

Jin chuckles at me, my face a tomato. I puff out my cheeks, looking away from him, crossing my arms. Pouting like a little kid. Jesus. _You are twenty years old. Jesus christ. Act your age, would you?_

My teeth work at my bottom lip as I think, and when I look over at Jin he’s staring at my lip. Color once again rises to my cheeks as I quickly stop.

“I’m very serious about that lip biting thing.” Jin says, flicking his gaze back up to me.

I press my lips together, color flooding into my face. _GOD WHY IS HE SO FUCKING HOT! STOP! AAAAAH!_ I scream internally.

“I also have something else I want to show you.” He speaks softly, but it seems to be something less serious than before.

With a nod, I stand up and look at him. “Can you walk, or do you need me to carry you?” I ask teasingly.

He chuckles before getting out of bed as well. “I think I’m capable of walking.” He takes my hand in his. “But, I’ll hold onto you just in case.”

An unattractive snort escapes me and he walks through his maze of books. I follow behind him, holding his hand in a sure grip. We walk out the front door and make our way over to garage of maybe a shed. It’s pretty plain.

“You know how I said I am a mechanic?” Jin asks, opening the door to the garage shed thing.

“Yeah.” I say as we enter the shed.

It’s completely open. I look at him and he answers with a knowing look and a cocky smile. Then, he goes to a pipe and grabs something behind it. As he pulls, I notice a metallic lever.

Then, THE FUCKING FLOOR STARTS MOVING. I shriek and trip, but Jin catches me. He gives a wink and puts me back on my feet. Before I can ask any question, I notice light appearing over the edge of the elevator.

The door opens and it’s a big white room, resembling a square. But it looked like if you walked to a wall, you wouldn’t find on there, just blank space. However, there is a lot of cars and equipment to fix cars in here, along with a door at the very end. We walk together between the mess, and I spot that a few cars are actually completed and some with parts missing. Jin stops in front of the door before shoving his hand in his pocket and pulling out a key. He fits the key into the lock before turning it and opening the door, not yet letting go of my hand.

He pulls me through the door and the temperature rises, almost uncomfortably.

Littered around the room are weapons, much like the ones I saw in his notebooks. My eye is drawn to another door that seems to be the place that radiates the heat, then right above the door.

My eyebrows furrow as I try to discern what image was there. It looks vaguely like a female face. “What’s that..?” I ask, pointing up to it.

Jin follows my finger and a warm smile graces his face. “My mom.” He says simply, squeezing my hand.

“Is she..?” My voice trails off.

“Yeah…” Jin says softly.

I blink before leaning over and nuzzling his cheek gently. “She looks beautiful. What’s her name?”

“Jia.” Jin says, leaning his head against mine, which is resting on his shoulder. “She really was a beauty.”

I nod and I continue to stare at the picture. “Did you draw that?”

“Mhmm…” He hums before letting go of my hand.

I pick up my head from his shoulder and look over at him. “What’s up?”

He shakes his head. “Nothing.”

I nod a bit and walk around the room, inspecting the weapons, but not touching any of them.

“Hey,” I look up, “I’m going to go grab something then take you home.” Jin says. “You can explore in here more if you want.” He walks up to me, and presses a quick kiss to my lips what leaves me flustered. “Don’t miss me too much.~” He gives me a saucy wink before walking away.

My cheeks heat up and I press my hands to them, laughing a bit. _This man loves me. Holy shit. Hah. Fucking god. How did someone so amazing fall in love with me..?_ I laugh and shake my head, giddy. I move past the really hot door but stop in front of it. I’m not sure what’s there but I don’t think I would wanna go in there in the first place. _I mean, logic states it would be a forge or some shit like that, where he can create these weapons. But wh-_ I snort before sitting down in front of the door, enjoying the heat against ny back. _This is Jin. You can’t assume things about Jin._

I giggle and let the back of my head rest against the dood, my eyes feeling heavy due to not sleeping last night. _Hey! Don’t fall asleep!_ My eyes drift shut. _Heyyyy! You gotta stay up and stuff! Jin will be here an-_ And I’m out like a light.

\-----

When he returns, he finds her asleep against the forge’s door.

Oh my God, she’s so cute. What the hell? How can someone be so cute?

With a laugh he picks her up carefully. She moves a bit, but doesn’t wake up. Scooping her in his arms, he walks up to the door. On the way, he kisses Kat on the forehead. She smiles in her sleep. God, why is she so cute?

When he reaches the door, he stops and turns around. Looking at the picture on the end of the wall, he speaks with a whisper. "See ya later, mom. Love you..."

Soon enough he arrives at the car. Putting her on the back seat, he drives her home.

Arriving, the door opens as soon as he parks, and Logan and the kitties observe them from the door.

He gets the feeling that he is gonna bark at them, but doesn’t say anything after seeing her on his arms.

Followed by them, he puts her on bed and tucks her up. He gives her another kiss on the forehead before leaving.

Logan waits for him besides the sofa, with two beers in hand. Without a word, he passes him one, which he gladly accepts.

They stay drinking in silence for a bit, until Logan breaks the silence, speaking softly. "You really love her, don’t you."

Jin nods. "Yeah. Even a bit too much."

Logan doesn’t say anything. When they are done, he grabs both bottles and brings them to the kitchen. When he is done, they both walk towards the rooms.

"You know, Jin..." Jin looks at him. Logan has a small evil smirk on his face. "She’s gonna kill me for this, but I think her boyfriend should know this. If you ever want to calm her down or watch her melt, pet her head."

Jin blinks. "Huh. Cute. And a bit kinky."

Logan blushes a bit and shakes his head. "You are perfect for each other..." He sighs and looks at him, smiling a bit. "Hey, stay if you want. This is your house."

Jin smiles back. He isn’t as much of an asshole as he shows.

He walks to Kat’s room. Through the open door, the night’s light creates a perfect image. He ain’t missing this. He puts his back against the wall and sits down.

He falls asleep looking at the most beautiful girl in the world.

He can’t think of a better sight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know who’s of each by now.
> 
> We appreciate any reader. Love ya all!
> 
> YOU GUYS ARE GREAT! AAAAAAAAAAA! Faggot constantly tells me how things are going and every new kudos or hit, and any comment just warms my heart up. Thanks for taking the time to read our bullshit! ~Taba


	7. New Challanger! The Bitch!

Warm fuzzy bodies prevent me from sitting up. I let out a small grunt and pat the bodies. _Cats. So I got home safe. Cool._ I move my hand and pat the bed around me. My heart clenches as I don’t feel another person beside me and I let out a breath. _Shit, calm down. No no. He didn’t leave. Well maybe he did. But he’ll be back._

I carefully move the cat that’s covering my eyes from my eyes and squint up at him. “Hi Dresden…” I say softly.

He meows back at me, causing the other two to look up. Taco is resting on my chest and Crookshanks seems to be cuddling my leg. They both move, letting me sit up. I rub my eyes and frown at the noise downstairs, eyeing my alarm clock. _Either Jin is in the kitchen… Which I don’t think he would be… Let’s hope not..? Or Logan is up. Which would mean something is wrong. OR THERE’S A FUCKIN INTRUDER! HEY! WHAT A THOUGHT!_ I throw my legs over the side of my bed and stand up.

I wall over to my closet, and open it, pulling out a new shirt. I pull off my shirt, the tank top underneath riding up to show off my stretch mark covered hips, the thin scars blending in seamlessly. I know the scars on my stomach and back from multiple surgeries are still there, so I make a face and tug the tank top back down, pulling on my other shirt. I eye my pants and shrug, shutting the closet doors, tossing my dirty shirt in the hamper.

I walk out the door, noticing some white hair. I stop, look closer, and laugh softly at the sleeping man. With a shake of my head I walk over to him, easily picking him up and settling him in my bed. “Sleep well.” I say softly, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

I turn to leave again, humming as I shoo the cats out of the room and shut the door. I walk downstairs with the kitties walking in front of me. I notice Logan in the kitchen doing… dishes?

“Logan?” I ask softly.

He turns to look at me. “Shit did I wake you up?”

“Maybe. But that’s alright. What’s up..?” I come into the kitchen and notice the dining room table is cleared off.

 _We only clear that off for…_ My throat clenches.

“Mom, Dad, Cody, and Phe are coming over today. In a few hours.” Logan says shortly. “Mom didn’t text me until like five minutes ago.”

“Hah. Sounds just like her.” I say tightly, my entire body turning tense.

Logan looks over my head. “Oh, morning Jin. Did I wake you up?”

 _Fuck. He can’t. I don’t want him to meet my mother. Oh fuck. Oh god. Why mom? Especially not before I explain what the hell is wrong with her. Shit shit._ I look at Logan pleadingly but he shakes his head. A smile is plastered onto my face and I turn to look at Jin. “Morning. Thought you were gonna sleep for longer.” I force myself to sound normal.

_God is he going to believe Mother? She always says bullshit about me. Oh god. I mean he has no reason to not believe her! Other than he’s never met her but she should know me and he would probably mildly believe that’s actually me!_

“Kat?” Jin has moved closer, concern in his gaze.

“Yeah?” I say a bit too loudly.

“What’s wrong?” His tone is soft.

_...god why is he so perfect..?_

“I… uh…” I chew my lip. “Uhhh. You wanna meet my parents?” I offer, not looking at him. “Uh… they’re coming down.”

“Our littlest sister wanted to see her big bro and big sis for her birthday present.” Logan supplies, god bless his soul.

“And here I was thinking you were about to ask me for my hand in marriage…” Jin remarks teasingly. “Well, this will do, I suppose.”

Logan laughs. “Watch out, that may be her next question.”

My face flushes a hot red in embarrassment. My hands clench and I hear Logan move closer, resting a hand on my head. I huff, letting my eyes shut as he gently scratches the top of my head. “Naw, she’s askin cause our mom is a bit of a cunt to her specifically. Kat still thinks she’s a nice individual somewhere in there, and wouldn’t want your first impression of her to be a bad one.” He ruffles my hair. “Cause even tho our mom is a fucking cunt to this lil bean, the lil bean still loves her a lot.”

I huff softly and move Logan’s hand from the top of my head. He grins at me before walking back over to the sink to continue his washing. I sigh softly, looking at Jin. His eyebrows are furrowed. “What do you mean by ‘a bit of a cunt to Kat’..?”

I shake my head, about to tell him it’s nothing when Logan jumps in again. “Verbal abuse.” I cringe at the words. “It’s mostly verbal abuse. Mom-”

“You’ll see.” I say, cutting Logan off. “I think you’ll understand after you meet her.” My eyes examine every little crack in the floor.

“For her sake, I hope I won’t…” Jin says softly.

My eyes flick up at Jin’s face, it’s hard. I gently take his hands, our fingers immediately lacing together. “Hey, maybe she’ll be better, since there’s someone new around.” I offer, knowing it won’t happen.

Jin just looks at me. I offer a weak smile before bringing his hands to my lips and pressing a kiss on each of them. “At least you’ll be able to meet my super cute lil sis. And my dad is pretty awesome.” I say with a smile.

A small smile comes across his face. “Okay.” He says softly.

I let go over Jin’s hands and turn to Logan. “Hey, I’ll finish those up. Can you run to the store and pick up something for lunch and dinner?”

Logan nods and I move over to the sink. The door opens and closes and Logan leaves. I start to wash the dishes and Jin comes into my view. “Can I help in anyway?”

“You can sit on the couch and be sexy.~” I say with a wink before looking down and scrubbing the dish.

He chuckles. “Seriously.”

“No, I couldn’t ask you to do anything. Just hang out or something. If you insist, however, there is a vacuum in the hall closet, if you wanted to vacuum the floor… that would be great…” I look up at him.

“You got it boss.” He says before leaning down and giving me a quick kiss.

My cheeks heat up and he walks away, me blatantly staring at his ass. _That is a good ass. Fuck. Literal perfection. God damn it._

The next couple hours go by quickly. A few dishes are sitting in the sink to soak, and the only thing left to do is to organize like little things.

But there is no time.

There’s a knock on the front door and I bite my lip. Jin’s already sitting in the couch, the cats laying around him. Logan is sitting in a chair, holding a beer. I let out a breath before going to the door and opening it.

My little sister is the first one in the door, and she grabs my leg, hugging it tightly. “BEBE! I MISS YOU!” She says loudly.

A laugh come out and I pick up the kiddo. “Hey Phe Phe. I missed you too. You wanna see BoBo?”

She nods energetically and I set her down. She runs towards Logan, only stopping for a second to look at Jin, confused. I move to the side to let my mom in, who is inspecting everything. Then my step dad comes in and we bro-fist.

I shut the door behind them and walk over to them and Jin. Jin seems to be inspecting my mother, who is still inspecting the room. Phedra runs over to me and points at Jin. “Who’s that?”

A grin pulls at my lips and I pick the child up. “That’s Jin.” I say, loud enough for everyone to hear, before leaning close and whispering to Phe, “He’s my amazing, talented, handsome, and funny boyfriend.” My voice is soft enough that only Phe can hear.

Her face brightens and she starts to giggle. “AWWWW!” She screeches.

She squirms to be but down so I set her down and she immediately runs to Jin. “Hi! I’m Phe! Can I call you Ji-Ji?” She asks, a bright smile on her face.

Jin laughs and nods. “Sure, cutie.”

I smile at the two of them and then hear my mom huff. I turn to her and she fixates her icy glare on me. “You have a nice place.” She says.

“O-Oh. Thank y-” I think she’s actually being nice.

“But.” Here it comes. “It’s a mess. We told you, with plenty time remaining to clean, that we were coming over. I expected it to be a little better well-kept than this.” She runs a slender finger along the top of the TV, the dust gathering on her fingertip. “You see?” She shakes her hand, the dust falling to the floor, before looking at the kitchen. “Counters are a mess, there’s dishes still in the sink. Do you even have a plan for lunch?” Her gaze is fixed on me again and I flinch. “Are you really that useless? The floor is all dirty too.” Because you dropped that dust on the floor, it was clean before. “I don’t even want to see your bedrooms. Are the guest rooms even clean enough for us to sleep in? Do I even want to check?” Her tone is icier than her gaze.

“Sorry, Mom.” I say in a soft voice, gripping the front of my shirt tightly.

She sighs and turns to Jin. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I’m Logan and Katrina’s mother.” She smiles. “I’m assuming you’re Logan’s friend?”

Jin stares at her in a shocked silence for a second before a hard look comes over his face. "With all due respect lady, take that smile and shove it where you can." He continues before she can interrupt him. "And no, I'm not one of Logan's friends. I mean, not yet, I think. I'm your daughter's boyfriend. I would say "pleased to make your acquaintance" but you're not worth the lie."

Her face twists into a scowl. “Oh? What, did she throw one of her ‘poor pitiful me’ stories at you?” I flinch at her words, she notices and a victorious smile comes across her features. “And now you think you can’t leave? Trust me, my boy, she’s been left so many times that she wouldn’t even realize it. She likes to pretend she cares, and pretend she has issues. Like anxiety and depression.” Mother laughs. “She does it for attention, don’t give her what she wants.”

Tears start to gather up in my eyes and my hands clench into tighter fists. Logan’s mouth is pressed into a thin line and Phedra is standing there with her head down, knowing, even at such a young age, that she can’t stop this.

Jin’s face is set in a hard mask, his tone is even but you can feel the rage lurking underneath. "Lady, the only reason I haven't, literally, kicked you out of the house yet, it's only cause I'm not in my right, since this isn't my house. But I can say this. You're a fucking idiot.” Mom frowns at that, opening her mouth to retort but Jin continues. “She's ‘pretending’ to have issues. Do you even know how depression or anxiety work?! You CAN'T pretend to have that. You have it. Heck, I know better than anyone! I have fucking PTSD!” He steps towards her. "I swear to fucking God that, in my right or not, I will kick you out of the house if you keep acting like an ignorant and pathetic piece of shit."

My mom’s face is furious and she opens her mouth to say something when Logan starts to talk again. “Hey, Mom.” Her gaze turns to him, and his mouth is still pressed in a thin line. “Jin has a point. I mean hell. With how shitty you treat Kat and only Kat, I wouldn’t doubt that she’s developed something.” He shrugs. “Maybe if you actually talked to her instead of ignoring how much she tries just to make you proud, you’d be able to see that.” He turns his attention to Jin and winks at him. “Hey, buddy. I think you’re a friend.”

My mom glares at my brother. “You have no right to speak.”

“Actually he does.” I say, my voice soft. “Logan has,” I look up, making eye contact with her. “Logan has made an effort to make amends. So has dad. It’s just you.” My voice gets more confident the more I speak. “You’re the only one who hasn’t tried. I’ve thrown love at you, I still do it, even though it’s driving me insane because you don’t fucking care.” The tears start falling out of my eyes. “I’m willing to forgive you, but you’re not ready to apologize. Fucking criticize me all you fucking want, I don’t care. Tell me all my imperfections, everything I do wrong, who cares. You’re just driving yourself deeper into a pit that soon you won’t be able to get out of and I’m not going to try to get you out of.” My hands shake and I can feel blood running down my palms. “U-Until you are ready to fucking apologize, I would like you to leave. I will pay for your hotel room, and I’ll keep Phedra here until you leave. Since she’s the only one who really wanted to see me. Unless she would prefer to be with you.” I let out a shaky breath, tears still rolling down my cheeks. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to deal with the cuts I just inflicted on myself due to my fake anxiety.” I turn on my heel and walk to the bathroom.

As soon as I close the bathroom door, I grab the bandages. I sit down in the toilet and start to wrap one hand, getting halfway through before the tears became too much, the blood from the other hand dripping onto the floor.

I don’t notice Jin entering the room silently.

I don’t realize that he’s in front of me, carefully wrapping up both hands with the bandages.

I don’t notice when he sits there, holding my hands gently as I cry.

I don’t notice Phedra screaming that she wants to stay with Bebe, then a shout from my mom and her slamming the door shut.

I don’t hear the door open again and my father step in, immediately asking what the blood on the floor was from.

I don’t hear the bathroom door open again and my father asking what happened and who Jin was.

I’m lost in my tears.

\-----

He keeps both hands over Kat’s. God dammit... Kat...

Blood is scary. That is a basic concept of human nature. We know blood, we know that it flows through us. We know that it keep us alive. It’s only natural to feel distraught at the sight of it. But you can grow used to it. Numb. If you keep seeing blood again, and again, and again... It becomes as shocking as water.

He is used to it. He has seen what a knife does to a human throat. He’s seen bullets pass right through human flesh like it was paper. He’s seen what happens to women when rapists have their way with her and the dogs find them. He’s seen his own blood fall onto the ground.

He is numb to it.

But... But right now...

For a moment, just a brief moment after opening the door, seeing Kat spilling blood, he had thought... What if she had...?

God. This blood fucking terrified him.

He looks at her eyes. They don’t stare back.

She is so far away...

"Kat..." He whispers with a hint of pain.

The door opens.

A soft but nervous voice speaks behind him. "Uh, hello there. Sorry if this seems imposing on you, fella, but... Could you please tell me who you are and what has happened here?"

Jin doesn’t really feel like talking much. "Name’s Jin, a bitch happened."

He chuckles softly and his voice comes with a hint of sadness. "Ah, I'm guessing the terror came through?"

He should have punched that bitch. The moment she started to talk to Kat, BAM. "Yeah. Like a shit hurricane."

The tone of the man changes to a more humorous one. "Well, most of the women in my life are natural disasters." He frowns. "Hurricane Katrina. Sorry, bad time for a joke. I also apologize you had to see that."

Jin chuckles a bit. "Bad timing, good joke. And, it’s not your fault." This was a family trip, right? "I’m guessing you’re the pretty awesome dad Kat mentioned?"

A bright smile appears on his face. "That'd be me!" He eyes Kat, his smile dimming. "Is she going to be okay, do you think..?"

Jin also looks at her. God, she keeps crying. And she is till somewhere else. "Better, yes. Okay... I don’t know. I will try that she does, but I have a long track record of failures." Specially with loved ones.

Her dad quirks his eyebrow, concern appearing on his face. "'A long track record of failures'? What do you mean by that, Jin?"

Geez, this guy really is amazing. He shakes his head. Letting go of her hands, he gets up and faces the man. "Doesn’t matter." Jin trusts his guts, and his guts are telling him this was is good. Like good GOOD. He holds up his right arm. "Here, thought I’d be polite and offer you a hand." His lips quirk into a small smile. "Just return the favor and give it back."

He chuckles softly and takes his hand, giving it a firm shake before letting it go. "Best to hold her hands again... Though she may hurt you depending on where her mind is, but I don't think she needs anymore scars from herself." Oh, the irony. He pauses. "Wait... Phedra said something about Ji-Ji and a boyfriend. Are you Kat's boyfriend?"

Blasted adorable child. He rubs the back of his head. "Uuuuuh... Is this gonna be a dad-boyfriend talk? Because I reeeeeally don’t need one of those right now."

He makes a negative motion with his hand, a little laugh coming from him. "No, no. That's for another time. I think there's a more important issue to handle right now." He moves his eyes to rest on Kat.

"Right." Going back to Kat, he kneels in front of her and grabs her hands. "Any advice you can give me?"

He leans against the doorframe. "Don't move her. Make sure not to frighten her when she finally comes to. I'll grab a glass of water for her, she'll be thirsty. Just, be careful. You should be able to say anything, but just don't mention anything about the mother. She may not talk for a bit." He frowns and sighs. "The only other times I've seen her get bad is if she stood up for herself. I'm guessing you did something because nobody else really knows how to do it. If you got her to stand up for herself then... Well, let's just say that you're special." A soft smile comes across his lips. "Congrats kid, you've done more than her own family can do for her." He pushes himself off of the doorframe and walks towards the kitchen to get that glass of water.

Truth be told, that doesn’t make him feel better.

_It wasn’t your fault._

That was a voice he hadn’t been expecting to hear. "You heard the man."

_Don’t be an idiot. You know what he meant._

She won’t look back. "Heh... Maybe."

A few more moments pass in silence.

_Do you... Do you want me to stay?_

"I would really appreciate if you did."

Silence again.

_I will_

Silence.

"Thank you."

\-----

… _ughh_...

My hands are being held gently, and it’s bright as fuck in this room…

I blink once, then twice, then repeatedly, them being strained from staring off into the distance for so long. The first thing that registers is a pair or worried blue eyes.

_God, those are beautiful eyes…_

“Kat..?” The mouth on the person’s face moves.

My eyebrows furrow, trying to put two and two together. It finally clicks. _Jin, oh god. Jin._

I open my mouth to say something but I end up going into a coughing fit. He lets go of one of my hands and picks up a glass of water from the counter, handing it to me. I take it, and sip the water. _Oh god, Jin… I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. Shit. God damn it. Fucking. WORK BODY!_

After a few minutes of sipping the water I’m finally able to croak out, “I-I’m s-s-sorry…”

Jin’s looks turns from worried to confused. “What are you sorry about?”

I drink more of the water before looking down, both of his hands holding my one. “F-For… T-This…” I flinch at the thought of my mother and almost break down into tears again.

 _Okay, don’t think about her. Jin is right in front of you. Think about him. He’s good, maybe he’s hurt you but he’s amending it. He loves you. He loves you. He loves you. I promise he does. He wouldn’t be here if he didn’t love you. He loves you and you love him._ My mind speaks gently to me, for once not berating me on my failures.

Jin gently squeezes my hand. “It’s not your fault.” He states simply.

I frown tugs at my lips and I finish the water, setting the empty cup on the sink. I brows furrow when I notice the bandages and then feel a sharp pain going from my hands and radiating over my entire body. A soft whimper escapes me and Jin gently takes my other hand. “Kat..?” There’s an edge of pain to his voice.

I blink a couple of times before looking at him, not even realizing that I started to do it again. I cough a bit into my shoulder before looking back at Jin. “Y-Yeah..? S-Sorry.” 

Jin shakes his head. “You dad is here, was really worried. Do you think you could stand up and go see him?” He asks carefully.

I nod at him and he stand up. My eyes follow his body, _My question is: How exactly did someone so perfectly imperfect find me and want to date ME?_ , and he offers a hand to me.

I gently take it and try to pull myself up but can’t really. I feel stuck in place as the rest of my limbs decide to actually work. A soft smile appears on Jin's face which causes my heart to flutter. With the gentleness of handling a newborn baby, Jin picks me up and walks to the door. My arms wrap around his neck and my face nuzzles into his shoulder. “Th-Thanks…” I say quietly.

He just smiles, even though I can’t see it, I know it’s there.

Jin opens the door and then shuts it, walking over to the living room. I hear a few voices but I don’t really pay attention to them. Except…

“Bebe..?” A little hand tugs at my shirt and I move my head, looking at the kiddo. “You okay..?”

I nod a bit. “I’l-I’ll be o-okay.”

“So… you’re not okay now…?” She sniffles. “I-I’m sorry Bebe! I just wanted to see you! For birthday present! A-And!” She starts to sob.

My heart clenches and I look at Jin and sets me on my feet but keeps an arm securely around me. I carefully pick the child up and cradle her to my chest, cooing softly along with bouncing her. “Phe, Phe. It’s okay. Not your fault, cutie.” I nuzzle her cheeks. “Come on. No crying Phe. Come on.” I kiss the top of her head.

She sniffles and just buries her face into my chest, sobbing. I swayin place, both to comfort her and also because my balance is pretty shit. I spot my dad on the couch, and he smiles warmly at me. “Hey Kit-Kat.”

A small smile tugs at my lips and I shake my head, pressing a kiss on top of Phe’s head. “Hi Pops.” I say quietly.

I move to walk over to him, so I can sit down, but I stumble. Jin, being quick on his feet, catches me, picks me up, walks over to the couch and sits me down. I blush but smile warmly at him. “Thank you.” I reach up and cup his cheek, patting it gently.

“My pleasure.” Jin says before sitting down in a nearby chair.

I reach over to him with one hand and gently grab his, lacing our fingers together, my attention on my dad. “Sorry there’s no super warm welcome, Pops…”

“Hey, not your fault.” Pops says, reaching over and ruffling my hair. “Do you think you can talk about it?”

I look down and Jin reassuringly squeezes my hand. “I…”

“Don’t force yourself.” Pops says. “You can tell me later.”

I shake my head, Phedra now asleep on my chest. “I… Mom was just…” Anger starts to boil inside of me and my hand tightens around Jin’s. “She was being a fucking cunt because she told Logan and I two hours in advance that she was on her way. And then waltzes in here expecting everything to be fucking perfectly clean and bullshit. And then pisses off Jin because she’s just a fucking cunt, and then…” My hand loosens around Jin’s, still holding it but not as tight, and I let out a shuddering breath. “I was done with her shit so I sent her away… Until she’s ready to apologize…” I look down.

Pops looks at me, a frown coming across his features. “Again..?” I nod. “Seriously..?” I nod again and he lets out an angry huff. “Jesus fucking christ.” He looks at me with a great deal of love in his eyes. “I’m so fucking proud of you, Katrina.”

I open my mouth to say something when Jin pipes up. “So am I.” He says, and when I look he has a warm smile on his face.

A blush rises up on my cheeks and I let out a dry laugh. “Hah… You really shouldn’t be. I just…” My eyes widen. “I… I just… I just was a fucking piece of shit human being. Oh… Oh god…” Tears spring up in my eyes again. “Fuck…”

Someone shifts and when I look over I see a finger in front of my face. When I look at the person connected to that finger and see dark blue eyes looking at me.

“What am I pointing at?” Jin’s voice is soft. “A piece of shit..?” I blink before opening my mouth to reply but he continues before I can. "Nope. A wonderful girl named Kat, who makes a lot of people happy." He smiles. "Me above the rest."

A blush heats up my face and Jin moves his hand, patting my cheek gently, a warm smile across his face.

“Are they always this cute..?” I head Pops whisper to Logan.

I can imagine the face my brother is making. “It’s fucking sickening.”

I turn my head, looking at Logan, with a big smile on my face. Logan eyes me then notices my smile. “No. Kat.”

My grin widens and I let go of Jin’s hand, gently moving Phedra onto my dad’s chest, the kiddo still fast asleep.

“Kat, I don’t need to see this. Stop.”

My grin widens even more and I lean over to Jin. I mean to kiss him on the cheek but it seems that he notices me leaning over and turns his head, our lips connecting. My face flushes and I shut my eyes, kissing him back.

We almost lose ourselves in the kiss, but get interrupted by Pops. “Geez you two! Not in front of the kid!” We break apart when we hear him say that, but don’t move too far apart.

“Dad, she’s asleep.” Logan says.

“I was talking about you, Logan.” Pops shoots Logan a grin.

Jin and I both laugh, and I press a short gentle kiss on his cheek before sitting back and holding his hand again.

 _Funny how in such a bad moment, being surrounded by people you love can change things for the better._ I look back over at Jin and smile a bit. He smiles back and my face reddens because I can almost feel the love radiating off of that smile to me. _God if I could sit around and just stare at that smile, kiss his lips, and keep him close forever, I would do it in a heartbeat._

Pops looks at us before announcing, “Alright then. You two lovebirds want to get some food?”

My cheeks redden even more and I laugh. “Sure Pops.”

Pops gently settles Phedra back onto my chest before getting up. “Alright. What was the plan for lunch?”

“Uh… Salad.” Logan says.

Pops makes a face. “Salad? We need to have a MANLY lunch!” He grins.

That causes Phedra to wake up, and she sleepily rubs her eyes. “Hi Bebe… Bebe okay?”

I press a gentle kiss on her forehead and smile. “Yeah.”

She smiles brightly.”YAY!”

I smile back at her, warmly and look up at the door opening and shutting. “Dad is gonna get some pizza or something.” Logan says. “He’ll be back inna bit.”

I nod a smile, my hand still holding onto Jin’s and Phedra climbing off my lap and running over to the DVD player to put in a movie.

 _Life is pretty okay._ I think contently.

\-----

"Life is pretty okay." Thinks Jin, lazily sit on the sofa.

He hears a soft laugh in his head. _Certainly seems so.  
_  
Jin moves a bit and yawns. Maaaaan, he was tired. Kat had thankfully gotten better as the day kept going. Her father was awesome and her sis beyond awesome, so it was understandable.

This wonderful family. And him.

_Oh, c’mon!_

He blinks. "What?"

 _You were going so well! "Life is pretty okay", "she is so perfect", "that kid is so cute"... It’s been a good day, kid!  
_  
Jin frowns. "Not all of it."

That fucking bitch... How the hell had she dared? And how had she dared to call herself Kat and Logan’s mother? A mother is not like that! A mother is... Did he really know how a mother was?

No, he is not going to think about it now.

_Good call._

"Pops" enters the living room. "Hey kid. What ya up to?"

"Oh, you know, talking to the ghost inside my head." Said ghost sends the sound effect of a facepalm for all response.

The man blinks. "That... That was a joke, right?"

Jin smiles. "Was it?" He moves a bit to the side, so the other can sit besides him. "Anyways, did you want something?"

He sits besides him and nods as thanks. "I think Kat wanted you to accompany her to bed." He smiles as Jin blushes slightly at the comment. "Not in that way, champ."

Jin sighs. "Yeah, yeah... No need to rub salt on the wound..." He gets up and starts walking to the kitchen.

"Jin." He stops and turns around. "I almost forgot. Do you know that tomorrow is Kat’s birthday?" Jin blinks. Shit. He shakes his head. "Then, you better hurry and buy her a present." His smile widens. "After all, you are her present boyfriend."

Jin groans and resumes his way.

A present... Wait! Didn’t he have...? He checks his pocket. A smile pops in his face. Yeah, there it is!

_Seems that luck is on your side. The world must really want you to be happy._

"You know, I think, that for once..." He enters the kitchen. Kat and Logan are on chairs, the residues of the pizzas on the table. Phe is on Logan’s lap. As soon as Kat sees him, a beautiful smile appears on her face. "I think you’re right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah. Kat's mom is a cunt. Yay.
> 
> uhhhh. Yeee! Fun stuff! Um. I'm not very concentrated on anything cause I need some food and uh. Yeee. Haha. GONNA GO EAT NOW! AAAAA!
> 
> Leave a comment and/or a Kudos if you so desireee! ~Taba


	8. Obligatory Birthday Chapter  (Tho We Barely Talk About The Birthday)

When I wake up I’m sandwiched between two beings. Jin, who’s in front of me, face peaceful, and the kitties who are at my back, all three of them curled up in a line.

I blink a couple of times as I try to wake up. While being very cautious of my surroundings, I grab my phone and pull it to myself. The screen turns on and reads: 3:45 AM.

I sigh softly before looking at the date. _July 10th… OH FUCK! WAIT! I WAS BORN TODAY! OH FUCK! Okay. Okay. Calm. Okay. Jin doesn’t know, most likely. Okay. Do I tell him or just kinda let is slide by..? fuck. Okay._ I chew my lip.

Shaking my head a bit, I put my phone back in it’s place before snuggling into Jin. I gently wrap my arms around his frame, all sleepiness having left me but I can’t move. Until the kitties decide to get up and jump off the bed, three pairs of eyes staring at me critically.

A blush heats up my cheeks and I shake my head at them, nuzzling Jin’s chest.

Dresden meows and I sigh quietly. “Fine…” I mutter before reluctantly removing myself from Jin’s embrace.

The three cats walk out the door and I softly kiss Jin’s lips before pulling the blanket up around him. I pad softly over to the door, following the kitties to my art room. “Only for a little bit…” I say softly before pulling the key out of my pocket and unlocking the door.

I enter and shut it, locking it once again, the kitties having run in on their own. I sigh softly and walk over to my desk, putting on my headphones, and getting to work.

A little bit turns into a few hours, which turns into the morning. I finish what I’m working on and blink, my focus broken at there being loud knocking on the door. I pull off my headphones and rub my eyes, walking to the door. I unlock it and open the door to see Jin standing there, hair disheveled handsomely, but looking concerned. “Hey.” I say softly.

“Are you okay?” He looks like he wants to reach out and hug me.

I nod a bit, opening the door more. I walk up to him and rest my face into his chest. “Better now.” I mumble, wrapping my arms around him.

Jin chuckles and hugs me, peering into my art room. “What’s this?” I let out an uncommitted grunt. “Come onnn.” Jin says teasingly.

“Art stuff.” I mutter, nuzzling his chest. “Mm… You smell nice…”

“Very descriptive, Kat.” Jin says with humor in his voice.

“Eyy. It’s my art room. I do art here. When I can’t sleep.”

“You fell asleep just fine.” Now there’s a hint of concern in his voice.

_Shit, shit. No. Don’t worry about me._

“Sometimes I wake up and just can’t fall back asleep. So I come here to draw.” I say softly, rubbing Jin’s back carefully.

I can feel the scars underneath the fabric of his shirt and figure it must be uncomfortable for him so I stop almost immediately after I start. “Anyways…”

“Hey! Lovebirds!” Pops says, standing at the top of the steps. “You need to leave. Now.”

I look up at Pops. “Kayyy.” I say softly and nuzzle Jin’s chest one more time before letting him go, locking the door behind me, and walking to my room.

Jin follows behind me and I yawn, walking over to the closet. He leans against the doorframe. I pull out my birthday dress my dad always puts in my room and slip past him, walking to the bathroom.

I change rather quickly before opening the door and softly calling out, “Jin..?”

He pokes his head out of my room. “Yep?”

“Can you come here for a second?” He nods and walks over. “Can you…” I hold up my still bandaged hands. “Change these for me? I don’t trust myself. If you don’t feel comfortable with it, then I can probably do it.” I look at him, biting my lip.

Jin nods a bit and I open the door enough that he can come in. He does so and I close the door again, pulling the bandages out and handing them to him along with some peroxide. He takes them, setting them on the counter, and then carefully unwraps the ones around my hands. I wince as it pulls at the scabs that had started for form.

I watch as he tosses those bandages in the trash before uncapping the peroxide. I bite my lip, prepared for the pain as he carefully drizzles the stuff over the cuts to make sure they’re clean. Everytime I wince he mutters an “I’m sorry.”

He wraps up my hands again and then presses a kiss to each of them. “All better.”

I blink and look at him. “All better…” I repeat, just kinda staring.

_Fuck he’s gorgeous… FOCUS GIRL! STOP BEING A FUCKING TEENAGER! YOU ARE TWENTY ONE YEARS OLD! YOU ARE OLD ENOUGH TO DRINK! MY GOD!_

Jin chuckles at me. “Ready to leave those three up to their own devices?”

“To be honest, I’m kind of terrified of what they’re planning on doing.” I say with a small smile.

“It won’t be too bad, do you think?” He opens the door and ushers me out.

“Don’t underestimate them.” I giggle. “But if we’re being forced out of the house, I do have to get the lil kiddo a present.” I smile warmly as we walk down the stairs.

“Ah! The lovebirds. Get out! Now!” Pops shouts playfully.

“Got it got!” I giggle, scampering over to the door, leaving Jin behind.

I turn to see Pops say something to Jin who chuckles and replies. “Heyyyyyyyy.” I say with a pout. “Am I going to have to go on this adventure alone?”

“No.” Pops says.

“CAUSE IT’S DANGEROUS TO GO ALONE TAKE THISSSSSS!” My brother shouts before pushing Jin into me. 

I catch him before he can topple and glare at my brother. “Dysfunctional condom.”

“Disappointing second.” He says with a grin.

I snort before opening the door and pulling Jin through it. “Kay.” I mutter.

Jin tugs me along, pulling me to his car and getting me into it. I huff softly. “Still not a princess.”

“You sure do look like one.” Jin says, getting into the driver's side. “Where to first?” My stomach grumbles, causing my face to flush red. “Food.” He states with a chuckle.

We stop at a little diner and eat our breakfast, the waitress complimenting us on how cute we were together. Causing me to blush red and Jin to just grin.

We drive to a nearby mall, since I don’t really know what I want to get the kiddo. I get out but Jin stays in the car. I quirk an eyebrow, moving to the drivers side window and he rolls down the window. “Mind if I drive home real quick and change?”

“Not at all.” I say with a smile.

“Okay.” He says before leaning forward and capturing my lips with his own.

We break after a short time, my face red, and he grins. “I’ll be back soon, don’t miss me too much.~”

I kiss my hand and blow it to him. “You’re always in my heart, so you’re never far.” I shoot him a wink before turning and walking away. 

_Okay. This was a bad idea. I was expecting him to stay with me. Fuck. Or I shoulda asked if I could tag along. Ughhh. Why am I such an idiot?_ I huff as I enter the mall.

I walk into the first shop, strolling around. I spot a few bits of jewelry that are cute, but Phe could get hurt, so I leave the store empty handed.

This happens a few more times, before I stumble along gold. It’s a rack of her favorite storybooks, which got lost in a move my mom had. I grab each and every one they have in stock before walking to the register.

The price, is terrifying, but worth it. I walk out of the store with my purchase, stopping at a little stand set up in the middle of a walkway to get a drink. I plop down on a bench, holding my bags tightly, and shutting my eyes.

“Excuse me miss…” I open my eyes and see a little kid standing in front of me with a worried mother behind her. “How did you get those bandages?”

I smile to the kid. “Ah, just a little accident.”

The kid nods and skips along, her mother eyeing me cautiously.

 _Jesus…_ I think. _Did the mom think I harmed myself? I can’t fucking pass my depression onto that poor kid. But… She was just worried bout the kiddo._ I smile a bit.

The bags and gently taken from my grasp and I frown, looking up, holding on tightly. “Excuse me si-” I stop.

 _Holy fucking shit on a fucking shit sandwich… oh… my… god…_ “HOLY FUCKING SHIT JIN! YOU’RE HOT AS FUCK!” My face blooms into a brilliant red.

_God damn. He’s in a suit. WHY IS HE IN A SUIT? Okay. Fuck. Maybe that wasn’t the best thing to shout because people are giving you a lotta weird looks and a couple of parents are glaring at you. But at least Jin looks amused. Fuck. Stop. That’s making him hotter!_

Jin picks up the bags and looks inside of them. “Books? I already love this child.” He says with a chuckle.

I le out an embarrassed laugh before standing up, getting a text from my brother saying we can come home. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.” I say softly, gently gripping Jin’s hand.

“Course.” He smiles and walks with me to the doors.

We get back into the car, Jin driving us home. We get back and I pick up the bags of books, walking up to the front door, Jin just behind me. I eye him again. “You do look fucking hot with a suit on. Jesus.” I say softly.

He chuckles. “Thanks. You don’t look that bad yourself.”

I make a face. “Eeeehhhh.” I say before opening the door.

“SURPRISEEEEEEEEEE!” shouts the three people in the house.

I wince at the volume. “Uuuuh.”

Phedra runs up to me. “HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEBE!”

I sigh softly to myself. _Shit is Jin gonna be mad..?_ I look at him and he just looks amused. I turn my attention back to Phedra. “Can I go to my room real quick and wrap your present?” She nods energetically.

I go up the stairs, shutting my door before pulling out a big enough box. I store all the books in there before wrapping it up. I carry it back downstairs and set it down on the floor with Phedra’s other presents.

I plop onto the couch next to Jin and Phedra climbs onto my lap, a plastic ring in her hands. “Ji-Ji!” She says confidently, thrusting the ring at him with her chubby fingers. “Here! Now you can mawwy Bebe!”

My face blooms red and I cover it with my hands. “Phedra, baby.”

Jin grabs the ring solemnly. “Kat, would you-”

“No!” Phedra cuts him off with a pout. “Ji-Ji! You hafta do it properly! Like on the ground! On one knee! Or else it doesn’t count!”

“Oh, of course. Where are my manners?” Jin says with a chuckle.

“Or like y-” I start but Phe cuts me off.

“But be careful! We wouldn’t wanna get your pretty suit dirty!” Phe says, a proud look on her face.

"Oh, true true. A shame, but looks like the petition will have to wait, your majesty." Jin says sadly.

“Well! That’s okay! Bebe would say yes anyways!” She squishes my face. “Right?”

My face turns a vibrant red. “U-uh…”

“SEE!” She turns back to Jin. “So we should plan this out! I wanna be the flower girl! Is that okay? And we’re not inviting tewwow. Because Ji-Ji would smack her.”

"Oooooh, but I wanted Logan to be the flower girl! Imagine how cute he'd look on a dress." Jin says with a grin.

“Hey!” Phedra pouts. “No calling other people cute! Your future wife is right there!” She points at me and god damn can me face get redder? “But yes. Bobo looks cute inna dwess. But I’m cuter!”

"Ah, but you already have a role to play!" He boops her nose. "Who else would be worthy of officiating the ceremony?"

She blushes and giggles. “Weally? I can have an important role?” She smiles brightly.

I look between them, my face still unbelievably red, but I notice how easily Jin’s talking with Phedra. _Good with kids… good with cats… good at being hot… god fucking damn it…_

"Of course! We'd be honoured to have a member of royalty in the event. Everyone will look at you instead of us anyway, so might as well put you on the spotlight." His smile is easy, and beautiful. Fuck.

Phe beams. “I may be royalty, but I’m not gonna be the spotlight. Bebe is weally pretty! And she looks really good in white clothes, but is just scawed of them because she thinks she’s gonna get them dirty! But she looks really pretty!”

My face flares up with heat again. _Oh my god child. Oh god. Okay. Kiddo. Please stoppp…_

"Oh?” Jin quirks an eyebrow. “You mean she can look even prettier than now? Well, just for that, I'm actually feeling tempted to ask her now..."

“YOU SHOULD! You guys are really cute. Bobo and Pops think you guys work well!” Her face brightens up. “I haven’t seen Bebe this happy in a long time! Not si-

I clap a hand over her mouth, my mouth set in a thin line, face still a dark red. “Okay, PhePhe. That’s enough.” 

Jin pouts. "And we were just getting to the good part..."

Phedra moves my hand from my mouth and crawls over onto Jin’s lap. She speaks in a hushed voice. “I don’t think I’ve seen Bebe this happy in a really really long time. The last time…” She shakes her little head. “They left her… Please don’t? She’s stwong, but… Nobody thinks she can handle another one…”

Jin smiles. "Dont worry, princess. I'm not leaving her. Not now, not ever."

Phedra smiles brightly. “Promise her that. One day.” She pokes the toy ring. “But better than a toy.” She pouts. “I couldn’t find a weal one. I sowwy.”

"This is better than a real one." Jin says softly.

She tilts her head to the side. "Why is that better than a real one?"

Jin's smile widens. "Cause it's a gift from a princess. That alone makes it better than gold. But, being from THIS princess, there can't be anything better."

Phedra blushes and then hugs Jin tightly. “JI-JI! YOU’RE SO NICE!”

"My my, keep complimenting me like that and I may end up marrying you..." Jin says teasingly.

I snort. “Wow. First you call my brother Baby. Then you start saying cute shit to my little sister. You sure you’re not just in a relationship with me so you can spend time with my family?” I quirk an eyebrow. 

He winks. "The more, the merrier.”

I roll my eyes and look at him. “Well. You don’t really need me here then, do ya?” I ask teasingly.

"Believe me..." He leans over and kisses my cheek softly. Before separating, he whispers into my ear. "I do."

My heart feel like it stops. “holy shit…” I mumble, my face turning completely red. “you can’t do that to me… jesus.”

Phedra grins and climbs off Jin’s lap. “I’m gonna get everyone else! Don’t be getting all gushy!” She scampers to the kitchen.

"M'lady, shall we gush?" Jin asks, wiggling his eyebrows.

“That sounds very sexual and I’m not sure if either of us would be comfortable with that.” I say quietly, but staring at him, face still flushed red.

Phedra comes back with the two guys and I break eye contact with Jin. Phedra climbs onto my lap, holding a wrapped present. She hands it to me. I open it and smile warmly at the little clay figure in the package. “This is beautiful Phedra.” I say with a smile.

“It took me a long time!” She says excitedly.

The rest of the presents are opened, my brother getting me some art stuff and my dad getting me a necklace. Phedra opened my present last, getting more clay from my bro and some toys from my dad. She opens the box and actually screams in joy at the books.

I think she thanked me until she passed out.

We ate dinner and my brother slid me a beer. “You can legally drink now Kat.”

I sigh softly and make a face. “With how easily you get drunk and make a fool of yourself, I’d rather not.”

Jin looks at me, a bit confused. “Wait… you’re 21?”

“Yep.” I say, looking at him. “Something the matter with that?”

“No, no.” He winks at me. “Just didn’t know I was dating a cougar.”

I huff, cheeks reddening. “I don’t think I’m a cougar, mister.”

Jin chuckles and the evening goes by smoothly. My little sis is put to bed, Pops goes to his room, and Logan to his. Jin and I are sitting on the couch, not really watching the movie that’s playing on the screen.

“That was nice…” I say softly. “Thanks for being here.” I move my hand, lacing our fingers together.

\-----

_You know, I could do the thing of messing with your brain’s chemistry to make your perception of time slow down._

"Uhuh."

_Or I could take a photo. Metaphorically. More or less._

"Uhuh."

_... Also, I could mess with your brain and make you shove your face between her boobs._

 

"Uhuh."

_Pfffft... Alright, I know when I am not needed in a place. Have a good time!_

Aaaaand... He’s gone.

Perfect. He doesn’t need that asshole fangirling all over his ass while he does this.

"Oh, Kat." She has been laying on his shoulder for a while, but at his words she separates a bit and looks at him. "I almost forgot your present."

She blinks and looks at him confused. "You didn't need to get me a present. You're a present enough." She smiles, a soft pink blush rising on her cheeks.

"Well, this present present considers that, in the present, you deserve a present."

She blinks and then giggles. "Pfft. Okay, okay. What's my present then?"

Carefully, he puts out a silver necklace, an elegant chain that carries, curiously enough, the layout of what seems to be an island. He actually took weeks modelling it to make every little detail correct, from mountains to rivers. He hands it to her with a smile and a bit of embarrassment on his look. "Here, did it myself."

She looks at it, running a finger along the details in a stunned silence. She turns to him after a moment and whispers out, "This is beautiful, holy fucking shit."

He rubs the back of his head and lets out a laugh, a bit embarrassed. "Well, I don't only make weapons. That'd be boring." He holds both hands in the air, his smile widening. "Wait, I still have to tell you the significance behind it."

She leans back, eyes returning to the necklace. "What's the significance behind it?"

"That is the island of Catarina." His smile augments a bit more. "You see, I wanted to give my Kat a cat, but, turns out my Kat already has a lot of cats. So, I decided to instead give my Kat a Cat. Catpiche?" And of course, that last bit he accompanies with finger guns.

She looks at him with a look of disappointment, but it's easy to tell she's trying hard not to smile. "I swear to god, Jin. You are too young to be making Dad jokes. Stop it."

"Talking about that." He cheerfully says. "Did you know I'm younger than you?"

She blinks and looks over at him. "Seriously..?"

"Yep. I'm nineteen." He smiles even more. "Betcha you're feeling pretty weird right now.~"

Her face turns red. "Ooooooh god." Her head rests into her hands. "A bit... A lot."

He pats her back. "Hey, it's okay. We can play 'the student and the teacher' realistically."

Her head jerks up and she shoots him a glare. "What the fuck? No."

"'The young innocent servant and the cold but experimented lady' then?"

"NO! Jesus." She starts to laugh.

"I lack the beard." He ponders for a second. "'Lara Croft and the very well preserved mummy.'"

She just looks at him and loses it, giggling hysterically. When she calms down, she looks at him warmly. God, she is way too beautiful. "I love you. Thanks for being the wonderful assholic flirt that you are."

He laughs. "You are quite welcome." Shooting her a twin look, he grabs her chin. "And I love you too."

Another great day comes to an end with a kiss.

He could really get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must say. I Fucking love writing Phedra. Oh my god. More great stuff to come from her. *Wink wink.* Nice awkward questions from a kid who knows too much. 
> 
> Obligatory kudos and commens stuff here. Yadda yadda. Meeeehhh. ~Taba
> 
> *MEEEEHHH INTENSIFIES* ~Faggot


	9. Excuse me, ma'am. You've gone too far.

I wake up curled up on the couch with Jin. Apparently neither of us wanted to move upstairs into my bedroom. I groan as I feel two little hands pulling at my shirt. Slowly opening my eyes I turn onto my other side, my back towards Jin. Phedra is standing there. “Bebe..? You okay?”

“Mhmm…” I hum out softly. “Why..?”

“Mama said she’s coming over to apologize and try to fix things.” Phe says worriedly.

My eyes, which were slowly drifting shut pop open wide. “What?” I ask softly, but anger evident in my tone.

“Yeah… She said she’ll be here in an hour or so.” Phe says, patting her shirt.

I curse under my breath. “Help me wake up this lump.”

Phedra nods and climbs up the couch. She starts patting Jin’s cheeks, softly saying, “Ji-Ji. Ji-Ji. It’s time to wake up.”

Jin shifts behind me, pulling me closer. His beautiful eyes open and he looks at Phedra. “What’s up, princess?” He asks, tiredly.

“Mama is coming in an hour.” Phe says.

Jin looks at the kid confused for a little bit before it clicks in his tired mind. “Great…” He groans, hugging me tightly and resting his face against my back.

“Jin baby. You gotta let go of me.” I say softly as Phe continues to pat Jin’s cheeks.

“Ji-Ji, Bebe hasta get up and changed.” Phe says. “I can stay though, and you can cuddle me!”

I laugh a bit as Jin lets me go in favor of scooping up the kiddo and holding her like a teddy bear. “Perfect.” He says.

My laugh get harder as I stand up and walk to my room, pulling on the other outfit my dad got Phe and I. I throw it on and pull my hair up into a ponytail before going downstairs, into the kitchen, and feeding the cats. When I come back into the living room I hear:

“Ji-Ji?” Phe asks softly.

“Mmm?” Jin hums in confirmation that he heard the kid.

“Ji-Ji, do you really really really really love Bebe..?” Phe asks.

"Tell you a secret, princess. I don't love her a lot.” I flinch and tears start to form in my eyes, be he continues. “I love her a lot lot lot." He says with a smile.

Phedra’s face brightens. “I think she loves you a lot lot lot lot lot lot lot lot lot lot lot lot lot lot lot lot lottttt! Infinite ‘lot’s!” I laugh softly in my head, walking back into the kitchen.

I don’t hear Jin’s response, if there is one.

There's a knock on the door, that's wayyy too early to be mom… I walk over to the door and open it. Lo and behold it’s my mother. She’s shifting in place and she looks very uncomfortable.

Step-Pops is standing behind her and I open the door so he can enter before staring at my mom, my fingers digging into the wood of the door. Mother finally looks up and makes eye contact with me. I smile warmly and her face twists into a snarl. “I’m sorry.” She says slowly.

I open the door more and wave for her to come in. “Even though I know those words are lies, you can come in. At least you said them.” I say.

She steps into the room and I notice she’s trying hard not to say anything about the mess in the room. Since nobody thought to clean the night before because celebrations. She walks over to a chair and sits down, I notice Jin eyeing her the entire time. I walk over to Jin and sit down beside him, reaching over and holding his hand reassuringly.

“Happy birthday Phedra.” My mom coos the the kiddo.

She doesn’t move off of Jin’s lap. “Thank you mommy! Bebe got me all the Elephant and Piggie books we lost that one time!” Phedra has a bright smile on her face.

Mom’s face twists into rage. “Oh really..?” Each letter is drawn out through her teeth. “Mommy said she was going to get them all for you.”

“Oh,” I say with an apologetic smile, “sorry Mama. I just saw them on sale and all there. I couldn’t think of anything else to get the lil baby.” I ruffle Phedra’s hair.

Mom’s face twists even more. “Fine. Whatever.” She takes a breath. “Is there bre-”

“Well well well. If it isn’t Anna.” Pops comes into the room from the front door, sweating. “To what do we owe this pleasure?”

“It’s my daughter's birthday today. Of course I’m coming to see her.” My mom snaps.

“You didn’t come by yesterday when it wa-” Pops starts but I cut him off.

“Hey, hey. No fighting. No arguing. Mom said she’ll tr-”

“WILL YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP?” Mom shouts. “FIGHTING IS NATURAL! MY GOD YOU ARE INSUFFERABLE!”

I flinch and I feel Jin’s hand tightening around mine. When I look over I see his face is a hard angry mask.

“Mother,” I start, voice slow and cold, “it would be wise to refrain from saying shit like that. One because you’re trying to make amends, and right now you’re failing miserably at it. Two, because I don’t know how much more my boyfriend will stand for before he punches you in the face.” My voice is a warning.

“Oh, so now that you have protection, you’re fucking being a little cunt and standing up for yourself? He’s going to leave eventually, you’re not fucking worth it.” Mom sneers.

“NO!” Phe shouts, her eyes full of tears. “JI-JI SAID HE’S GONNA MAWWY BEBE ONE DAY! THEY LOVE EACH OTHER A LOT! STOP TRYING TO BREAK THEM APART! JUST CAUSE YOU CAN’T HAVE A H-H-HEALTHY WELATIONSHIP!”

Mom’s hands grip the edge of the seat. “DON’T USE THAT TONE WITH ME PHEDRA! I AM YOUR MOTHER!”

“I WOULD RATHER HAVE BEBE AS MY MOMMY! SHE WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR ME!” Phedra shouts.

Mom is shaking in her chair. “I-”

“WILL EVERYONE PLEASE STOP!” I shout, Jin’s hand gripping my own so tightly it’s causing my discomfort. “Mother, go fucking cool down in the kitchen or something. Pops, go take a fucking shower. Step-Pops, keep bein fucking chill. Jesus.” My mother opens her mouth to say something but I fix her with an icy glare. “Do it or I will kick you out of this house again.” I turn to Jin and gently rub his hand with my free one. “Hey, hey. Look at me.” His gaze is torn from my mother and looks at me, his face still hard. “Jin,” I say softly before reaching up and cupping his cheek, “come on babe. I’m sorry she’s like that. I’m so sorry. This isn’t how parents are usually. Okay?”

“I know…” He says quietly, his grip relaxing. “How the hell did something so wonderful come from that..?” His face is slowly getting softer.

I laugh quietly. “Well, Phedra had her really cool dad.”

“I was talking about you.”

A blush rises onto my cheeks. “Ah… well I had my really cool Pops.”

“Will you two stop it? You’re making everyone wanna vomit.” I hear Logan say.

“Shut up, chicken-man.” Jin retorts, a smile appearing on his face.

A giggle escapes my lips and I feel a body lay across my lap. I look down to see Phedra there, eyes teary. “I love my Bebe…” she says softly.

“I love you too cutie.” I say softly and kiss her forehead.

We sit there for a few minutes before Phedra’s stomach growls, and mine echos the growl. “Well! I should make breakfast.” I say with a smile.

Phedra nods and gets up, sitting beside Jin. I get up and lean down, pressing a gentle kiss against Jin’s forehead, before walking to the kitchen. Where my mom is.

She glares at me and I sigh. “Go to the guest bedroom is you aren’t fuking cooled down.” She gets up and walks away.

\-----

There is a heavy silence in the room. Kid’s standing on his lap, reaching to his hair and playing with. Jin doesn’t usually let people even touch his hair. But, this was the amazing babu of this amazing (albeit dysfunctional as fuck) family, so he was willing to make an exception. Apparently, Phedra is the only one that hadn’t noticed the heavy atmosphere. Or maybe she pretended not to.

She lefts out a giggle. "So soft! So pwwetty!" She sits again and shoots him a curious look. "How did you made your hair all snowy Ji-Ji?"

Oh, you know, usual stuff. Watch a lot of people die, get constantly abused physically and mentally, kill a few dozen people, watch as your loved ones suffer and die, and suffer heck of a mental and physical breakdown after inhuman stress.

"Mmmmmagic." He responds with a smile, casting the memories aside.

Phedra pouts. "I wanna have mine like it!"

He laughs. God, this kid... "We can dye it when you’re older, princess."

Her eyes widen and she smiles brightly. "WE CAN?!" She lips off his lap and runs to Logan’s. "Bo-Bo! You hear that?!"

Jin chuckles softly to himself.

The man he doesn’t know approaches him, with a polite smile. "Hey there, bud. Don’t think we had the pleasure of introducing each to the other. Name‘s Cody."

He doesn’t seem half as bad as the bitch he married. "Hi there. I’m Jin. Kat’s boyfriend."

Cody laughs. "My my, kiddo nailed a pretty one."

Jin sends him a smug smile. "Only the prettiest for the prettiest. Too bad I didn’t meet ya earlier, you might have had a chance.~" And he winks.

Cody mirrors his smile. "Think you can handle this, kid?~"

Jin’s smile widens. "By all means... Try me.~"

Logan interrupts them. "Jesus Christ... Could you stop trying to romance this whole family Jin?"

"Hey, it’s not a romance, it’s" Cody and him say at the same time. "A BROMANCE."

And they stare at each other’s eyes.

Logan laughs. "Gay."

Cody snorts. "Takes one to know."

As the brother blushes, the bros brofist. He likes this guy. Bro/10.

Kat’s voice sounds from the kitchen. "Breakfast’s ready!"

Cody’s expression turns a bit tense. "I should probably try to get her to join us..."

Jin would rather he didn’t, but...

She is Kat’s mother, and Kat had seemed willing to forgive her. She seemed to love her. It wouldn’t be fair to keep her away just because he didn’t like her... Okay, he did "not like" her. He fucking hated her guts. But still, he didn’t have the right.

He sighs. "I’ll go."

Everybody seems surprised. Cody asks: "You sure?"

Jin nods. Better to try to get along.

Phedra grabs his pants to get his attention. Picking her up to eye level, she hugs him. Very softly, she whispers. "Thank you."

He pets the back of her head. "No problem, princess."

Leaving her on the ground, she goes towards the kitchen, Cody following her. Cody turns for a moment. "I’m sorry for... Well, her."

Jin smiles reassuringly. "Not your fault."

Cody nods and goes. Only Logan remains, with a doubtful expression on his face. He bites his lip. "Jin..."

"It’ll be fine." Logan, still worried, nods hesitantly and follows the other two.

Alone, Jin sighs again.

Well, better be done with it.

He knocks on her door. She opens it a bit, and looks to see who it is, with an annoyed expression. "Yes?"

"Breakfast is ready, thought you might want to join us."

Her annoyance augments. "Why would I want to do that?"

Deep breaths. Remember, you can’t break her fucking face. "Look, lady, I’m just trying to make a bit of amends, for the others good."

She lets a sardonic chuckle. "Another goodie-two-shoes..."

Okay, fuck this bitch. "Look, I am on the verge of fucking slamming you agaisnt the wall and be done with this shit. I honestly don’t know, nor care, what is your problem, but you are a fucking bitch." He turns around. "And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to have breakfast with the wonderful family that YOU refuse to be part of."

"Would you want to know?" Her voice sounds... Different.

Jin looks over his shoulder. "What?"

"Why I am such a "bitch", as you say." Her expression is deep in thought and with a bit of sadness.

"I don’t see why I should. As I said, I don’t care."

“Look… I know you don’t like me. I understand why.” The woman speaks softly. “Please let me get this all out, then you can punch me if you want.” She sighs and leans against the wall, besides the doorway. “I don’t hate my daughter, well, at least it didn’t start out as hate. It was jealousy. Jealousy that grew and grew the more she grew up. Yeah, I treat her like fucking shit, but that’s because she was growing up to be such a good little girl who wasn’t tainted by anything except constantly having to move and never being able to find friends. Somehow she kept a bright smile and positive energy flowing through her.” Her face twists. “I wanted to fucking strangle her. How can something be so bright and positive? She was innocent and I didn’t see the pain in her step and the easily plastered on brightness and happiness and joy that she so expertly crafted as such a young age.” Tears start to flow down the woman’s cheeks. “I hate myself for doing what I did to her. But she was so perfect, at least I thought. But then the verbal and physical abuse started to wear on her. Her expertly weaved cloak was breaking. I thought she was faking it because hell, she’s always been so bright and cheery. I didn’t realize the mess that lay beneath that cloak before I even took a step into the picture.” She rubs her nose. “I told her father about it and he didn’t do much, her brother kinda became a jerk to her too when he was young because he was just following what his mother was doing. He never touched her though, I made sure nobody would be able to see that. Still, today, I want to hurt her because she can easily weave a mask of peace and happiness and it’s so hard to tell if it’s fake. Whenever I see it I want it to break and I want her to feel pain. I’m still jealous of this girl, partially because of her tricks and partially because of her ability to heal things and mend them, fix broken links. She fixed the relationship between her father and her brother somehow. She’s always been a mediator. Always there to help guide people along. Hell she’s fixed broken links between me and my sisters. And I hate her so much because of that ‘power’ she has.” Her face twists again. “Makes me want to break her fucking heart and then her neck.”

Jin is looking at the ground, not staring at the woman.

"At least, I have the guts to admit this shit." She laughs. "Most people would play the moralist, instead of-"

"Shut up."

The woman expression obtains a bit of fear at his tone. "What...?"

Jin looks up, eyes boiling with anger and teeth pressed together. "I said..." He takes a step towards her, right arm flying at full speed, fist clinched. The punch hits right besides her head, making her go pale as the wall cracks under the hit. "SHUT UP." Keeping the arm agaisnt the wall, he leans towards her, blue eyes almost beaming. He speaks slowly and in an ice-cold tone. "This is the only warning I will ever give you. Touch her again, and, no matter where you are, no matter where you hide… **I will find you. AND I WILL KILL YOU.** ”

Without paying her any more attention, he turns around and starts walking hurriedly.

On the way, he hears Kat’s voice. "Jin?" He ignores her. "Jin!" He hears hurried steps and someone grabs his arm. "Jin! What’s-?" When he looks at her, she takes a step back, a scared expression on her face.

He feels a sting of guilt, but it’s overshadowed by the sea of rage inside of him.

"I need to get out." He says, stopping looking at her. "Or I’ll kill her."

And with that, he walks towards the door and to the street. She doesn’t follow him.

\-----

I frown, glaring at the guest bedroom. I walk over and stop, eyeing my mother. “The hell did you do?”

“YOU’RE ASKING ME WHAT I DID? I WAS JUST ASSAULTED BY YOUR BOYFRIEND! HE FUCKING CRACKED THE WALL!” Mom shouts.

“I apologize for his actions. I have no doubt they were justified. What did you tell him?” I frown.

“Why I fucking hate you.” She glares at me.

“Makes sense why he would assault you. Because there’s a thing called love. Maybe you don’t know it all that well.” I say, my face blank. “If you didn’t know love is when someone cares about you a lot and hey get mad when someone insults that person.” I cross my arms. “So yo-”

She raises her hand and smacks me a ross the face, causing my glasses to fly off. “I KNOW WHAT LOVE IS! IT’S THE FUCKING SHIT YOU GIVE ME EVEN THOUGH I DON’T WANT IT! FUCKING I’M NOT GOING THROUGH BULLSHIT WITH YOU AND YOUR BOYTOY IF ALL YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO DO IS GET MAD AT ME!” She shouts.

I raise a hand and she flinches, thinking I’m going to hit her probably. I rest a hand on my reddening, stinging cheek. “Get the fuck out of my house.” I say, my voice icy. “I’ll bring Phedra back to you when you’re ready to leave this place.” Mother opens her mouth and I shake my head. “Until you’re really fucking ready to rectify the situation you cannot enter this house.”

My mom clenches her fists and then raises a hand again. I grab her wrist and push her to the side before walking to the kitchen, my face a passive mask. Pops comes over with an ice pack wrapped in a towel, handing it to me. I take it and press it against my cheek, walking over to the front door. My mom meets me there with a glare and I open the door. She leaves, walking to her car and slamming the door.

I notice Jin walking over, his face still angry. With a sigh, I lean against the doorframe, holding the icepack to my cheek as I watch my mother drive off. _Don’t get into a car crash, please._

Jin stops in front of me, his eyes cold. “I should have killed her…” His voice is ice.

I laugh humorlessly. “Why’s that? Because she smacked me?” I shake my head, “For a smack, she shouldn’t die. For everything else she’s done, yeah. Maybe. A smack is probably the nicest thing she’s done.”

He pulls away the bag of ice for a moment. "God... Your face... I’m so sorry, Kat..."

Again I let out a humorless laugh. “It’ll heal. It’s fine.” My face is blank. “Nothing to apologize for…”

_Unlike some other things. My face will be fine. The rest of me..? Hah. Not so much._

Jin grabs her chin and makes him her look at him. "You are beautiful. You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

I snort unattractively. "I'm a fucking mess. My family is a fucking mess." I let out a soft huff. "Who the fuck even knows what my mother told you to get you pissed. Well, you two do." A soft laugh escapes my mouth. "I'm not the most beautiful thing you have ever seen. If I am, then you need to go out and see more of the world. Maybe a mirror."

"Kat... You don't have the slightest idea of how wonderful you are. And... I just can't even bear the thought of you being hurt. And you're hurt. You're hurt in so many ways right now... I can't even think about someone so wonderful and beautiful getting hurt. It... Makes me mad, and... And... I'm not a good person, Kat..." Jin’s voice is soft.

I look at him, pressing the ice pack to my cheek again. “Nobody truly is a good person Jin. Some are worse than others, yes.” I shake my head. “And I’m not a wonderful person. I’m… how did my mother put it… oh yes. Useless. That’s me. Completely and fucking utterly useless. At everything.”

Jin frowns, taking my free hand. "That's not true. You make me happy. And Phe. And Logan. You are a wonder. I'm not worthy of you."

I stare at him for a while. “More like I’m not worthy of someone who actually cares.” I hold his hand gently, eyes downcast. “All I’m worthy for, it seems, is people who pretend they care. And then when I finally want to open up, they leave. Dump me off on the side of the road… Quite literally one time.” I shake my head. “But sheesh. You not being worthy of me? I’m trash, man. Literal trash. If you’re not worthy enough for me then what exactly is it that you’re worthy for?”

"Nothing." He stares off into the street. "I should have died long ago... I don't have the right to ask for anything. Much less someone as wonderful as you."

A frown pulls at my lips and I look at him. “Well, too bad.” My hand holds his tightly.

He laughs. "This is a really bad idea, you know? You can't be happy with me." He laughs again. "You have no idea what kind of person I am..."

“Hey, you know what?” I lock eyes with Jin. “It seems like you are forgetting a very crucial detail in all of this.” A warm smile stretches across my face. “I love you. And there is nothing that anyone can do that’ll change that. Not my mother, not your past. I don’t know your past, of course, but even if it’s the most fucked up shit I’ll ever hear in my life, it won’t break my love. The only thing that would is… Well, I actually don’t know. Because I still love all the people who I loved in the past. Nothing changes it.” An airy laugh comes out of me. “Maybe it’s a horrible idea, but you made a horrible decision sticking with me too. So either we leave each other and, at least for me, feel worse after leaving, or we can just continue. Whatever you want.”

He seems in deep thought for a bit. "I promised I would do my best to live a normal life. But, to be honest..." He suddenly hugs her. "You're the only normal thing in my life. And the most wonderful..."

I squeak at the sudden hug, and gently pat the top of his head. “Oh jeez. If I’m the only normal thing in your life… then jeez.” I press my cheek against my shoulder to keep the ice pack there before wrapping my arms round him. “I’m sorry for whatever fucked up life you’ve been through…” I say softly.

A pleasant silence falls. "Hey, Kat...?"

I look at him. "Yeah Jin?" My voice is soft.

"You are aware that you are pressing your boobs against me, aren’t you?" He asks.

"Mhmm. Kinda happens when you hugs someone and are well-endowed." I wink at him with a soft smile.

He wiggles his eyebrows. "Then, am I pressing something against you?"~

I snort. "Technically, yes. Why are you asking?"

He giggles. "Was just curious." He shoots her a glare full of care. "Sorry I couldn't get along better with your mother." He frowns. "I think you should know what happened. Why I left."

I shrug and nuzzle his cheek, the ice pack falling to the ground, forgotten. "She said she told you what she hates me. I don't doubt that would piss you the fuck off." I smile lopsidedly. "She did say you threatened her, and you cracked my wall, mister." My smile widens.

His face darkens. " I could have killed her, Kat. God... I threatened her to do it if she hurt you. Maybe she was scared and that's why she hit you..."

I hum softly. "She was terrified, but it's not why she hit me. I pushed her buttons a bit too much. I was pissed..." I nuzzle his shoulder gently. "Thank you."

He seems confused. "What for?"

I look up at him and smile warmly, eyes soft. "For controlling yourself. I don't doubt it was hard. Thank you for not killing her, thank you." I press light kisses against his cheek. "Thank you so much."

Jin laughs. "Anytime."

With a soft giggle I rest my head back onto his shoulder. “Want to go back inside..?” I ask softly, not really wanting to, just wanting to stand here in his warm embrace. “I figure we should probably eat.” _I mean, we could eat later too and just stand here… Standing here sounds a whole lot better._

"Mmm... I could eat you up.~” Jin says with a grin.

I look up at him. “Sure, babe. Sure.” I chew my lip, shaking my head, returning my head to his shoulder.

"In that case..." He makes me look to him, leans over... And bites me very lightly on the lower lip. He separates with a smile. "Was dying to do that."

My eyes widen and a dark red blush covers my face. I make a quiet noise of disappointment that he moved away so quickly. _OH GOD DID HE HEAR THAT. Fuck. Let’s just pretend that lil noise didn’t just happen._ “Took you long enough.” I puff out my cheeks. “You’ve been very threatening about it.”

He tilts his head. "You wanna snuzzle up, don't you?"

My eyebrow quirks. “Snuzzle up..?”

Without a word he picks me up and I squeak, wrapping my arms around him.

Upon entering the house he yells: "We're gonna cuddle up on the sofa if you wanna bother us!"

There are a few laughs and then a patter of feet, Phedra runs in. “YOU ARE GONNA CUDDLE? CAN I JOIN?”

I bury my face against Jin’s neck, face red. “Oh my god.”

With a serious voice, Jin says. "It is within your royal rights."

Phe smiles brightly and climbs up onto the couch next to us. She stops before jumping onto my lap. “Would I be intwuding in a womantic moment..? I dun wanna do dat!”

“Nah.” Jin says, and I don’t move off his lap, my arms still wrapped around his neck. “You’re always welcomed.”

She smiles brightly. “Yay!” She clambers onto my lap before looking between the two of us. “Can I ask you some questions?”

I let out an amused breath. “I don’t mind, as long as he doesn’t you can go for it, cutie.”

Jin's smile widens. "I love answering questions."

Phedra giggles and pulls out a notebook and pencil out of nowhere. She flips to a clean page and I giggle against Jin’s shoulder. “So.” Her tone is serious. “How long have you two been together?”

Jin looks at me, seemingly pondering, before looking back at her. "Two weeks?" He looks back at me. "Jesus, we sure bonded fast."

I laugh. “I’m a lovable little thing.” I remove my arms from around his neck and push my cheeks up, immediately wincing when I touch my smacked cheek. “Forgot about that. Shit. Ow.”

Phedra looks at me for a moment. “I’ll go gwab an ice pack!” She sets her notebook and pencil down before climbing off my lap and running to the kitchen.

"Two weeks, huh? Sure feels longer..."

“Mm. There’s people you find and you get to know,” I wrap both arms around his neck as Phedra comes back with an ice pack in her hand, “that you just click with. You’ve only known each other for a short time but it feels like your entire life. It’s when you find someone you need, I think.” I say softly.

Phedra climbs back up and hands me the ice pack. I take it and rest it on my cheek again, and scribbles down the answer to her question.

"When you find someone you need, huh...?” Jin looks at me with a smile. “I’ll do my best then."

A soft smile spreads across my lips. “You don’t need to try to do anything. Just be you, you’re who I need.” I kiss his cheek gently.

Phedra smiles and looks at us. “Next question!” She smiles brightly. “Ji-Ji! What’s your favorite thing about Bebe?” My cheeks redden.

He smiles. "Her."

Phedra scribbles that down. “Would you care to elaborate at all?” She looks up at him, looking proud she used such a big word.

Jin smiles warmly. "I can't choose a single thing. Everything about her is my favourite part of her."

My cheeks turn a dark red and Phedra turns to me. “Bebe, what’s your favorite thing about Ji-Ji?”

“Everything, absolutely everything.” Is my immediate reply with no hesitation, which causes Phedra to smile brightly.

Jin laughs. "Pffft. Copycat."

“Would you care to elabowate Bebe?” Phedra asks.

I get a determined look on my face. “Unless you want to sit here all day, then no. If you do, th-”

“No! I have more questions!” Phedra cuts me off. “Like! Mommy and Daddy do noisy stuff during the night and when I ask them about it they say it’s welationship stuff! Do you do that too?”

I choke on my own saliva, and press my face against where Jin’s neck and shoulder meets. Jin pats my back before turning to Phedra. "Good question! Answer is: Sadly, not yet."

I cough, face turning redder. “So… Mommy said that’s how I was made when I asked, so Bebe isn’t gonna have a…” She sounds confused and just pokes my stomach.

"Like I said..." He winks at me. "Not yet."

My face blooms a darker red and I shoot him a glare. “Do you want to have… Kids..?” Phedra asks, concentrating on my stomach.

“I… I wouldn’t be opposed to it…” I say softly. “Just it's a bit early to think about that, kiddo.” I say, reaching over and ruffling Phedra’s hair, who turns to Jin, wanting his answer.

He shrugs. "Maybe."

Phedra pouts. “Ji-Ji. You’re boring. You don’t get red like Bebe does.” She pokes his cheeks, and I giggle.

"Kat, fills for me." Jin says with another shrug.

“Bebe! How many times have you seen him blush?” Phedra turns her attention to me.

“Mm… let me see.” I tap my lips. “I think the only time was when we first confessed… That’s all that’s coming up.” I eye him. “I’m still trying to figure out how to make him flustered. Nothing I seem to do works…” I purse my lips.

Phedra pouts. “Awwww.”

"Hey hey hey, don't go around giving such dangerous info!"

“What?” I look at him. “It’s not like you blush when I say ‘I love you’ or when we kiss. Or even do both.” I lean against his shoulder.

“What if you did it completely over the top!” Phedra says with a bright smile.

I laugh and shake my head. “I doubt that would work, cutie. But I’ll try it when he least expects it to test your theory.” I wink at her.

Under his breath, so the child can't hear it, he mutters. "And fuck my life..."

I grin. “What was that, sweetheart?”

"Nothing, nothing at all." Jin says.

I shoot Phedra a wink and she grins. “Uuuuh… I forgot the rest of my questions.” She pouts.

Logan walks in and eyes us. “I have a question.”

“What is it, chicken-boy?” Jin asks.

Logan glares at him. “Why the fuck can’t you two get a room? Nobody wants to see you being all cute and shit.”

“Just because you're jealous doesn’t mean you can ruin our happiness, Loganna.” I say with a bright smile.

“I will fucking end your life.” Logan glares at me.

“Oooooh, with what, girly?” A grin spreads across my face and I look up.

“With my fucking fist.” Logan says, shit, he’s actually fucking pissed.

Jin glares at him. "Logan. Sit down. I'm not in the best of moods today."

Logan grits his teeth. “Oh, poor baby. Build a bridge and ge-”

“Logan, please stop.” I ask, my voice soft.

Phedra watches us curiously and Logan just glares at Jin before sitting down in a nearby chair. “Fucker.” I hear him mutter.

Jin sighs. "Sorry. I know I'm kinda of an asshole to you sometimes." He offers him a smile. "Peace deal?"

Logan looks over, frowning. “No, I understand. No worries.” He looks away. “Shove your peace deal up your ass.” His lips turn upwards into a smile.

"Now, wouldn't you like it to be the other way around?~" answers Jin with a smile.

Phedra frowns at Jin. “Don’t flirt with Bobo.” At the same time as I say, “Jesus, you are literally trying to get with my entire family.”

"Two fair points. Now consider this: I may flirt with everyone, but with nobody near as much as with Kat." Jin chuckles.

We sit around for a few more hours, Cody leaving after a bit to go see mom. He gives Jin a fist-bump when he leaves, so I figure they’re on good terms. Phedra leaves with him, and so does my brother. Which leaves Pops, Jin, and myself sitting in the living room.

My cheek finally feels fine enough to touch, and as soon as it does, Jin presses a big kiss to it. I laugh and snuggle closer to him.

 _Today has been… A day. But. He’s still here, so that’s something. I think Pops is planning on having a ‘dad and boyfriend’ talk with him in the very near future before he leaves._ I giggle and snuggle closer to Jin. _Still need to figure out how over the top I’m gonna hafta be to make Jin blush. I need him to blush a lot. God it’s so beautiful. But maybe it’s another tic on the list of things I may never get him to do again. Like that pure smile and his laugh. Dang. Hopefully not…_ I think, frowning.

I snuggles against Jin more and smile warmly, Pops having turned on the TV, just watching some show. _Well, the least I can do is give him my love._ I think with a smile.

\-----

Kat is happy. Logan is somewhat annoyed, but happy. The Popscicle is happy. Everything is good.

Jin thinks to himself. Well, not really to himself. "I owe you one."

 _Mmmm?_  
  
The asshole. He was pretending in case Jin hadn’t noticed. "The punch. You threw out of its way."

_Oh, that? Was just me keeping you from making a huge mistake. Trust me, killing a horrible family member doesn’t give you good points from the girls. I tried._

Well, that is true.

"Still, thank you. The person I would like to be wouldn’t have done that..."

_Nobody is a saint, kid. And me? I’m a count, not a saint. So do not glorify that act._

Awww, he was embarrassed.

Jin’s phone buzzes. He takes it out his pocket and reads the text.

"Huh."

Kat’s head perks up. "What’s up?"

"Just admiring the curious timing of fate." He puts the phone back in his pocket.

"What?" Kat seems confused.

"Oh, not much. Wanna meet my adoptive dad?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eyyyyy. Fucking I was gonna have Mother reconcile with Kat, but I dunno if that's gonna happen? Ooopsss?
> 
> Comments, kudos, and that fun stuff. ~Taba
> 
> If my part is meh, I apologize. I was very tired when I wrote it. ~Faggot.


	10. A Tol Popsicle

Jin gets up. With a yawn, he stretches, a few pops sounding here and there. He lets out a small grunt of pain when the scarred skin on his back tenses. No big deal tho. He is used to pain.

He makes a few more stretches. Then, he massages a bit his bad leg and arm. He would put a bit of skin cream on the scars, but he forgot it at home. Oh, well, doesn’t really matter to forget it a few days.

By the time he’s done, Kat is almost half awake.

With a fucking adorable sleepy look, she asks him: "Where ya going?"

"To pick the old man up."

She frowns and looks at her phone. "So early...?"

Jin smiles apologetically. "Yeah, sorry to wake you. Go back to sleep, I’ll be back before you wake up."

Kat seems tempted to do exactly that, but gets up with a resigned expression. "No, no... I wanna go."

He raises an eyebrow. "Really?"

Kat smiles tiredly. "Really." She starts picking up a few clothes, and shoots him a look. With a smile, he lays against the wall, refusing to look away. Kat blushes furiously and marches hurriedly to the bathroom.

Jin snickers to himself. "Cutie."

 _You know..._  
  
"Mmm?"

 _She’s gonna be terrified of him._  
  
Oh, shit. "Maybe."

_Definitely._

"Shut up."

Kat gets out of the bathroom, sporting a new pair of pants. She puts her hands on her hips, smiling. "How do I look?”

As an answer, he walks up to her, grabs her by the hips and gives her a long kiss. Taking the chance, and with a devilish smile, he adds a bit of tongue for the first time. When they separate, Kat is blushing deeply and sweating a bit. "I... Uh..."

Jin’s smile widens. "C’mon." He starts walking, giving her a soft clap on the ass.

With a yelp and a little jump, she starts following him, shouting insults.

Jin’s smile widens even more.

\-----

_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!_

If it wasn’t obvious, I’m screaming internally.

 _That fucking white-haired prick asshole with beautiful blue eyes and fucking just overall gorgeous. Fuck off. How dare he just waltz up to me and fucking kiss me and…_ My face turns redder at the thought. _WELL NEVERMIND THAT! ASSHOLE!_

We walk out to his car, my face a dark red and I know Jin is just grinning. Pops comes up, sweating profusely from his morning jog. He eyes the two of us and grins. “Gooooood morning to you two.~” He grins. “Something eventful must have happened, for you to have made her blush thaaattt much~” Pops grins. “Also, where are you two headed?”

Jin winks and my face turns a darker red. “To go get his old man from the airport.” I jerk my thumb at Jin.

“Sounds like an adventure.” Pops says with a smile and he rubs a knee. “I used to be an adventurer like you…”

“Dad. Please no.” I start.

“But then I took a chunk of a car to the knee.” He says with a wink.

I smack my face with a hand. “I am so done with your shit right now.”

“Hello, so done with your shit right now. I’m Pops.” He says with a shit-eating grin.

Pops gets a glare from me for that and I hear Jin chuckling. “Well! Bye bye you two! Have fun! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” He walks back into the house.

Jin is still chuckling as we walk to his car, both of us getting in. And then we’re off.

I watch with vague interest at the scenery that’s passing by, occasionally looking over at Jin to see him watching the road. After a good maybe five minutes of silence, I speak. “So. Adoptive father? Anything I should know about about the man?”

A frown pulls at Jin’s lips. “Not a father. He’s just the old man.”

“Ah. Sorry, sorry. Well, anything I should know about the old man then?” I rectify.

"Well…” Jin stop at a light before looking at me. “Are you intimidated by height, wealth, presence or an exuberant personality?"

“Height is a meh thing, unless it’s like he's the height of a house, then yes.” I laugh. “Exuberant personality, depends. The other two… Yeeeepppp.” I chew my lip.

"Oh, then…” Hi gaze returns to the road as the light turns green. “Please don't harm yourself?"

I pause. “I’ll try not to?” My confusion is evident in my voice. “Why would I..?”

"Well, putting it mildly.. . He's very tall, very rich, has a rather intimidating presence and is a cocktail of pure energy."

“Uh… sounds like… uh… fun person.”

_Great words Kat. Very very great words. And now you’re already mildly terrified. WHY DID YOU DO THIS?! OH YEAH! BECAUSE YOU’RE A FUCKING IDIOT! HAHA!_

"Listen, I swear he's a good guy. Even if he doesn't look like it. And be ready to be asked... Questions." Jin sounds mildly tense.

“Questions..? Like..?”

“ALL the questions.”

“Very helpful, babe. Very helpful.” I say with a laugh.

He shrugs. "It's easier to show than to explain."

“I get that.” I let out a breath. “So, anything else I need to know?”

"Do not even mention guns, economics or treachery. If he gives you an advice, listen to it. And remember: Whatever he may tell you, it's true."

“Got it.” I look over at Jin. “Where is he from?”

"Japan." Jin says simply.

“Gooott it.” I say softly, returning my attention back to the outside, chewing my lip. “That it..? Sorry for all the questions…”

"It's no problem. If you are curious, he adopted me when I was twelve. I left home when I was eighteen and ended up here." I can hear Jin’s smile.

“I was kind of. It’s a bit weird why a guy from Japan made his way here… Not that I’m complaining. Just weird.”

"He takes any excuse to travel that he can take. Me being here is a pretty acceptable excuse." Jin shrugs again and takes an exit off the highway.

“I mean, I don’t think there really needs to be an excuse to travel.” A smile pulls at my lips. “It’s interesting to travel different places and see other cultures and such.”

"Tell him that and he'll love you.” Jin chuckles. “You gotta keep in mind he's a busy guy, he can't just do whatever he wants. Unless it's a necessity, he doesn't travel."

I nod a bit then realize he can’t really see me. “That makes sense. Most of the time something is holding people back from traveling the world.”

I look over at Jin who just nods. We fall into a comfortable silence and my gaze flicks back out the window. After a while a hand rests over my own, which is on my leg. I blink and look over at Jin who’s looking at me. “You okay?”

“Huh..?” I blink a couple of times. “Yeah. Why?”

“You just seemed to be thinking. Wanted to make sure you didn’t go anywhere bad.” He pats my hand with a warm smile.

Color rises on my cheeks and I smile. “How sweet. Yeah. I’m good, just sleepy.” I yawn a bit.

He chuckles. “You should have went back to sleep.”

“I don’t think I would’ve been able to.” I rub an eye and he lets out a questioning hum. “Cause like. One, it’s hard for me to sleep again once I woke up. Two, here comes the sappy shit, it’s hard for me to sleep without someone/something beside me. My cats and a pillow/blanket usually do the trick but now I'm mildly used to a real human being being there, so yeeeeee.” I blush even more.

“You’re so fucking cute.” Jin says with a chuckle.

I puff out my cheeks before sticking my tongue out at him. He grins at me before returning his eyes to the road. I look back out the window. It doesn’t take too long before Jin pulls into the airport. I sigh softly, mentally preparing myself for the large crowds and the dark parking area. _No need to assume just cause the guy is rich that he would have like a private jet or… And we’re going awayy from the public area. Oh boy. Should I just assume everything about Jin and his like old man because it SEEMS MY ASSUMPTIONS ARE VERY ACCURATE! CHRIST!_

Jin pulls into a parking spot and lets out a breath, checking the time. He looks at me and shoots me a smile. I smile back nervously and we both exit the car. We walk into the smaller building and stand there for about five minutes before the door on the other side opens.

He’s a tanned man in his thirties or forties. He has a bit of a beard, like he hasn’t shaved in a few days. His face is long and goes with an eye covered by a piece of cloth, _either it’s wounded or missing.._. He is insanely tall, above 2 meters, and has a strong build. He wears shaggy pants and shirt, which combined with the long duster he rocks, makes him look from big to enormous. He has dark brown hair, disheveled and at shoulders height. He has a metallic earring on each ear. His presence, when looking at him is beyond imposing. He looks like he could start a speech at any moment and everyone would pay him attention, or like he could easily command a random mass of people and turn them into an army that brings nations' to its knees. Basically he emanates an almost royal and powerful charisma, along with confidence and intelligence.

My chest tightens, taking my throat with it. It feels like someone has wrapped their hand around my throat and just squeezing. The man looks at me with his one eye, and it feels like he’s judging me, but maybe that’s just my imagination. His eye locks on Jin. My hands instantly go behind my back, the nails of my right hand digging into my left forearm. Jin walks up to the old man and the old man watches him.

And the next thing I know they’ve punched each other in the face. _WHAT. THE. FUCK. OKAY! THIS IS FINE! ARE THEY BOTH OKAY? THE OLD MAN LOOKS STRUNK AS FUCKKKK, AND I KNOW JIN CAN CRACK A WALL IF HE FUCKING PUNCHES HARD ENOUGH! Oh boy. Breathe. Damnit. Breathe. DON’T ACTUALLY KNOCK YOURSELF OUT!_

"Not bad, kid. You haven't gone all soft, I see." The old man says, rubbing his chin.

"Pffft. Nice punch... For an old man." Jin says and I can hear the grin in his voice, even if I can’t see his face.

 _I AM SO CONFUSED! ARE THEY BOTH OKAY! DO I NEED TO LIKE FUCKING LEAVE? IS THIS A WEIRD OLD MAN AND JIN THING? AM I INTRUDING ON SOMETHING?_ I stay silent, nails digging in deeper, luckily they were recently trimmed so no way I’m going to make myself bleed!

And now they’re hugging and patting each other on the back.

 _Don’t even question it. Just roll with it._ My chest still feels unbelievably tight, and I look down at my feet. _Fucn breathe, Kat. It’s fineeeeee!_ I take a deep breath and exhale slowly.

And the next thing I know, the old man's face is right in front of me. We stare at each other in the eyes (Well, eye) for a few seconds... Until he shoots me a gigantic grin and warmly says. "Hello there, little lady!"

I jerk, taking a step back, my back hitting a wall. My throat tightens more and my nails dig deeper into my arm. _Stop. I’m sure he’s a good guy. He seems nice. Okay. You got this._ My voice doesn’t seem to work so I pull my hand away from my arm and give him a little smile and a wave.

"Old man!" I hear Jin say, angry.

"What? Oh, right." He makes a reverence. "My name is Oda, young lady. Pleased to meet you!"

"That’s not what I meant!" Jin huffs.

I bite my lip and look to the side, coughing a bit before barely getting out a “H-Hi…” through the figurative hands clenching at my throat. I offer an apologetic smile, first a Jin then a Oda. “I… I’m K-Kat.” I get that much out and start cheering myself on in my head.

"Quite a colourful way of speaking!" Says Oda with almost childish excitement.

"She's stuttering!"

"Oh? That makes more sense." Oda seems almost disappointed.

_He’s a fucking kid… oh my god… that’s fucking cute._

"For the love of... You scared her." Jin sighs, looking 110% done with the old man.

"I did?" He makes another reverence in my direction. "Then I humbly apologize."

_He has such a rough exterior… But it seems like a fucking great interior. Hey, it’s alright. I’m sure he has a bit of a harder side to him too, but I think you can befriend this lovable giant._

I press my lips together, a smile pulling on them. A little laugh escapes me and I put my hand over my mouth, smile widening under the hand. “I-It’s alright.” More giggles escape me, even tho they’re quiet and hopefully I’m not insulting the old man for laughing at him a bit. “I’m easily…” Another giggles escapes, this one louder. “Scared. Not your fault.”

He blinks. "I thought your name was Kat. Have I been deceived?"

I blink before laughing softly. “N-No. Y-You haven’t. D-don’t worry.” I start to cough a bit, due to trying to keep the laughter in.

With a concerned expression Jin approaches me. He rubs my back.

I notice Oda shooting us an interested look, but don't pay him much mind, focussing on the worried cutie. Still concerned, he keeps his tone soft. "You okay?"

With a small nod, I smile at Jin. “Yeah, I’m okay. Sorry about that.” I let out a small breath of amusement. “No need to get concerned about me, goof.” I reach up and pat his cheek, smiling warmly, totally forgetting there’s another human being there.

Who proceeds to laugh at us to remind me.

With a smile, he looks at us, arms crossed. "My my... So, that's why you were so excited these few last days..."

He laughs again and Jin BLUSHES. A bit. But still blushes. HAH. TWO, MOTHERFUCKER. TWO!

_WHAT ARE THE SECRETS TO GETTING HIM TO BLUSH?! RELATIONSHIP STUFF? SHIT! MAYBE! KEEP THAT MENTAL NOTE WITH YOU! GOT IT!_

A smile pulls at my lips and I laugh. “Awwwwwww, what a cutie.” I pat his cheek again, the gesture soft and loving. “And that makes it two times I’ve seen you blush.” A victorious grin spreads across my lips.

Jin tsks, but doesn't pull me away.

Oda laughs again. "How many months have you been hiding this from me, you crafty devil?"

"Eeeeeeeeh..." Jin sends me a ‘HELP ME’ look.

I grin and stand on my tip toes, pressing a kiss to his cheek before settling down on my feet again and looking at Oda. “Two weeks, I believe.” I move my hand, gently taking one of Jin’s hands in my own, looking back up at him and sending him a look that says: ’You owe me.’

Oda seems surprised. "Two weeks? That's a pretty short time..." He quirks an eyebrow and addresses Jin. "Is she-?"

"No." Jin's tone comes firm. "She isn't just another one." He grabs my hand and holds it tightly. "She's THE one."

 

_WAIT WHAT? OH GOD! WHAT?! JIN! JIN WHAT?! MY LITTLE SISTER WOULD BE SCREAMING RIGHT NOW! FUCK I’M INTERNALLY SCREAMING!_

Oda smiles at that. However, it's a different smile from before. His age marks show more than ever, and his age becomes more apparent, but so does the care and love he professes to the young man. That's the smile of a proud dad. "That's wonderful!" Now looking at me, he winks (at least I think it's a wink, could be blinking) and speaks on a pretty familiar teasing tone. "Kat-chan, perhaps you've come to ask for my permission to seek the kid's hand in marriage?~”

My face turns pink, and I laugh. “Maybe one day, I think two weeks might be a little too soon to think about marriage. I mean, one day I think I will.” I smile warmly at him.

_SHIT OKAY! THIS’LL SUCK IF WE BREAK UP! AAAAAAAAH! DON’T THINK ABOUT THAT!_

Jin smiles a bit nervously, but before he can say anything, we are both pulled off our feet and spinned around in a bear hug. Jesus! This guy is strong! He's moving both of us like we were feathers! "Such a joyful new! You're more than welcomed into the family!"

I laugh, and squeeze Jin’s hand as to ask him what was wrong, having noticed his nervous smile. “Well, I’m happy I’m welcomed into the warm embrace of this family, Mister Oda.” I laugh a little at my stupid joke.

He puts us both on the ground, patting a shoulder of each. "And she even tells bad puns! Good catch, kid!" He affectionately brushes the top of my head and walks past us. "I'll be waiting besides the car!"

As soon as the man leaves the building I turn to Jin, eyes full of worry, gently taking his other hand. “Hey, hey. You okay?” I gently rub the back of his knuckles. 

He sighs. "Yeah, just..." He sighs again. "Thinking about stuff. Marriage and all of that jazz... Sounds scary."

I let go of one of his hands and rest it on his cheek, gently rubbing my thumb over it. “Hey, that’s still a long ways away, if we even make it that far, cutie. Not that I don’t have faith or anything, just saying.” I smile warmly. “It is pretty scary, but again, you’re only 19, and I’m 21. I highly doubt we should be worrying about this stuff.” I laugh. “Sorry if that made you uncomfortable.”

He smiles. "Don't worry about it." He shoots a look to the exit and rolls his eyes. "Oh, damn it." Grabbing my hand, he hurriedly moves towards it, where... Oda is talking to a security guard? The man is smiling, while Oda seems to be in the middle of a speech. "And, as such, I was wondering if you would-" Jin cuts it but not very politely grabbing him by the neck with his forearm and dragging him out.

I blink. Huh, weird. I haven't even noticed Jin letting go of my hand. The moment I started to hear Oda's voice... I had been like in trance. I see several people nearby blinking, like waking up from a dream.

Outside I find Jin scolding, in what seems to be Japanese, the old man. Who is producing numerous bows and saying "hai" a lot.

I follow them curiously, but staying silent except for my footsteps. _The hell was that? Actual magic? No… probably not. Mmm… I’ve never had that happen to me before. Or even seen it happen. Must be a talent of the old man. Or something like that. Maybe like how Jin can clean shit really quickly, though that may have actually been magic. Well… It’s terrifying but fucking useful too. If you ever needed to like sneak in someplace with a lit if guards. The old man could just sweet talk them into a stupor._ I giggle at the thought.

A woman walks over and puts a hand on my shoulder. “Do you know those men? Do you know what happened?” She looks scared.

“Uh… I know them, yeah, no clue what happened.” I blink and smile a bit thinking if Jin’s normal response to things he either didn’t know or wasn’t comfortable talking about. “Mmmmmmagic, probably.” I wink at her, doing some jazz hands, before speeding up my walk to catch up to the two.

When I finally do catch up, it seems Jin has finally stopped scolding the old man. I watch them with a curious look, but don’t say anything, not wanting to push any boundaries.

We get into the car and drive off. I’m guessing Jin already knows where we are going. He still looks pissed, but the old man's guilty expression has completely disappeared, and he's looking out of the window with curiosity. I lean against the seat as my eyes flutter shut. I feel myself drifting off a bit.

Oda's voice breaks the silence and wakes me up. "So, Kat-chan, is there anything you would like to ask me?"

I blink open my eyes and yawn, stretching my arms above my head. “Mmm… Not really. Is there anything you would like to ask me?”

_I mean there’s a lot of questions, but I would rather know the boundaries of the questions I can ask by having him ask first. That way, I don’t accidentally ask something that would set me off on the wrong foot._

He ponders for a bit, but the moment he opens his mouth...

"Old man, ask anything about matters of intimacy and I will crash this car."

 

 _Oh god. Don’t actually do that? Maybe. Thanks babe._ My heart beats a bit faster.

He closes his mouth and thinks for a bit more. "Well, what can you tell me about your family?"

My teeth pull at my bottom lip a bit and I clasp my hands together. “Uh… Simplest way to put it is that it’s dysfunctional but amazing.” I look down a my lap.

_Best not to tell the old man that “Hey! I’ve been verbally abused by just about my entire family except my little sis and step-dad!” Good idea. I doubt he’d take it well…_

He laughs a bit. "Sounds just like ours then."

Jin ruffles my hair a bit. "By the way, how are uncle and aunt?" I shoot him a glare, batting his hand away.

"Oh, you know those two. Either working or travelling. They're at New York right now."

Jin puts the hand back on the wheel. "To see Jacob?"

"Yeah." Oda sighs. "He's having some trouble with the police again."

Jin frowns. "Stupid kid..."

"Yeah, I know." Oda seems to cheer up again. "Anyhow! Do you have a job, Kat-chan?"

I smile a bit. “Yeah. I’m an artist.” I pull my phone out of my pocket to check the date. With a small nod I shove my phone back into my pocket, leaning against the back of the seat. “It’s fun. A bit taxing, but fun. Glad I could end up doing something I loved.”

_Even if that meant I had to give up on all my other dreams… Because I couldn’t go to college. Couldn’t become a teacher or even someone with importance. Just a stupid fucking artist. I love it, but I wish I could be helping more people._

"Oh, that sounds wonderful! I've always been an enthusiast of art." He laughs a bit. "Think I rubbed it a bit on the kid. Seen any of his works?"

My smile brightens. “Yeah, a few of them. He’s really good at drawing from real life. I could never get the hang of that.” I laugh a bit. _Not the only thing you couldn’t do._

Jin brushes it off with a gesture. "I can only copy machines and weapons. It's not that impressive."

"Hey, we all have our specialties kid." He looks at me. "Mine are flowers. And if you think he's good at drawing, you should see him on metallurgy."

Jin seems a bit embarrassed. "I'm really not that good."

I quirk an eyebrow and eye Jin. “Hey, it is impressive and good. Ya got a talent, a lot of talent.” I look over at Oda and shoot him a warm smile. “Flowers are some of my favorite things to draw, but most of the time I stick with whatever comes to mind at the time of drawing.”

"If chance comes, could I see your works? And I wouldn't mind buying a few ones." Oda asks.

My face turns a bit pink and I laugh softly. “I mean, sure. They’re not great, usually only run for a like twenty dollars or so, but if you want to, I’m not going to stop you.” I clench my hands around each other, taking great care not to dig my nails into my skin.

Oda smiles at me and the car enters a comfortable silence. The drive goes by rather quickly, I may have fallen asleep at one point, not quite sure.

Jin parks in a spot, and Oda gets out of the car. I watch him and he gets his stuff from the trunk before walking to the front. He turns and waves at us with a bright smile and I wave back, smiling warmly. Jin waves to him as well, and the old man turns, walking into the building. Jin sighs and leans back in the car for a bit. “Ready to go home?”

I look over at him and smile a bit. “I’m home with you.” I poke his side gently. “As cheesy as that sounds.”

Jin chuckles and pulls out of the spot, driving back home. This time I know I fall asleep.

\-----

Jin leaves Kat softly on the bed. Watching her sleeping peacefully, he smiles and leaves a quick kiss on the forehead.

_That went well._

His smile widens. "I know! He adores her!"

The voice chuckles. _That may not be so good. Last time you both liked the same girl-_

"Oh, shut it. There’s a big difference between competing for someone’s affections and stealing another’s beloved."

Another chuckle. _So she is your beloved?~_

"Shut up."

He checks his phone. Still early.

Ah, what a drag. But he has to make it today if he wants to make it to the deadline. And clients usually get pissed if you’re late.

With a sigh, he writes a note and leaves it where Kat can find it.

_"Had some work to do, sorry. If ya wanna hang out, I’m at my house. See ya later, Jin."_

He gives her a swift kiss on the lips, Kat still asleep, and leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm fucking tired. I don't know why. I'm just tired...
> 
> Leave a commen and/or kudos or whatever you really wanna do. I mean I can't force you to do anything unless I found out where you lived and forced you to do that... but that's kinda too much work and also fucing terrifying so I don't think I'll do that... WHELP! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, yadayadayada. Have a good day/evening/morning/night whatever time it is. ~Taba
> 
> Taba is half-asleep. Pray 4 Taba. One prayer=One hour of sleep.
> 
> Anyways, thanks for reading! Oda is another OC of mine (technically), who makes his debut here, even before that in my own fic! See ya guys next chapter! ~Faggot.


	11. Life has its ups...

I wake up a few hours later, due to being jumped on by a little girl. “Where’s Ji-Ji?” Phedra asks, pouting.

Squinting my eyes, I spot a piece of paper on my nightstand. I grab it, and look at it. “Work.” I say softly. “He’s at home now.”

“Can we go see him?” Phedra gives me the biggest puppy eyes.

“Maybe. I’ll ask him…” I eye the note again before setting it down. “I hafta do a few things first, though.”

“Like whattt?” Phedra pouts more.

“Work.” I set her in the bed beside me and sit up. “You wanna color? If you promise to be good, you can come in and color.” I eye her. She nods energetically. “I have to do some organizing stuff first, I’ll call you up when I’m done with that, sound good?”

She pouts but nods, getting off the bed and probably going downstairs. I slip off the bed, stretching my arms above my head, my shoulders cracking. I twist my upper body to the left and right, hearing and feeling my spine pop. I let out a relieved sigh before exiting to room, scratching my head.

With quick steps, I walk to my art room, unlocking the door, shutting it, locking it again, before looking around. Such a mess.

I walk over to my desk, setting my phone down and starting to charge it. I tap through the home screen before clicking my music and playing it. I yawn and rub my eyes before starting to put away everything.

Once that’s done, takes about an hour, I pull out all my prints and original works. I organize those too, writing down how many I have in stock in a notebook. I pull a few originals off to the side on top of my scanner, planning in showing Oda those if I am able to.

Once I’m done with that, I set all of them in the closet. I grab a big piece of paper, setting it in my desk along with a bunch of pens. It’s been two hours since I got in here. “Fun…” I say softly before walking to the door and opening it. “Pheee!”

Phedra runs up the stairs, smiling brightly. “Bebe! Can I come in now?”

“Yep.” I smile and let her shuffle in.

Very rarely is anyone allowed in my art room that I don’t trust. Seeing as this is where most of my income comes from. She walks over to the little area I have set aside for her and plops down on the chair, smiling brightly at the new coloring pages I have for her.

“Thank you Bebe!” She says excitedly.

I nod and she goes to work. I shut the door and sit back down at my desk, starting to do my little doodles.

A few hours pass until Phedra fall asleep on her table, crayon still clutched in her grip. I set down my pen and look over at the kiddo, a warm smile coming across my face. With a grunt, I stand up and put my new piece on top of the printer with the ones to show to Oda, before picking up the kiddo. She shifts and opens her eyes, blinking at me. “Can we see Ji-Ji..?”

A warm smile comes across my face. “Sure, cutie. Let me ask him real quick.”

I set the toddler on my hip before picking up my phone. I shut off the music and open my messages. “Bebe! You should call!” Phedra says pouting.

“I’ll send a text first, okay? Then I’ll call him if he doesn’t answer.” I kiss her cheek.

She continues to pout and I shoot Jin a text which reads: _”Hey, Phedra and I were wondering if we could come see you?”_

We wait a few minutes and there’s no reply. Phedra grab my phone and calls him, putting the phone up to her ear. I hear him pick up and say, “Yes?”

“Ji-Ji! Bebe and I would like to come see you!” Phedra says, giving me a look.

I huff and try and snatch the phone from her hand. “Sorry Jin. That was Phedra. She wanted to come see you.”

"Sure, come by.” He sounds amused. “Kinda busy working, but I can make time. You remember how to enter the workshop?"

“Yeah yeah. Weird lever thing that freaked me out. If you’re busy the little princess can wait until your done.” I bounce the little miss a bit who pouts.

“I wanna see Ji-Ji now…” she said with a huff, making me smile at her and press a kiss to her forehead. 

"Nah, no worries. See you soon." He says.

“See ya.” I go to hang up but stop myself. “I love you.”

He laughs a bit. "I love you too. Sap."

I blush a bit and hang up the phone, shoving it back into my pocket. “I just need to change.”

“Why? Ji-Ji will love you in whatever you wear.” Phedra titles her head to the side.

“Well, I was going to get you some ice cream for being a good girl. But if-”

“I WANT ICE CREAM!” Phedra says excitedly.

“Mkay. I’m going to change then.” I laugh and exit the room, setting the kiddo down.

She pouts a bit as I lock the door, then walk to my room, her following behind me. I yawn and enter my room, letting the child in then shutting the door. She’s probably the only person I’ll let see me change since she doesn’t just asks about the marks, but doesn’t seem to judge me for them. I change and she watches me curiously. “Bebe?”

“Hm?”

“What are those red lines in your tummy?”

“Marks from where my skin was stretched to accommodate whatever fat I have and then the fat went away and now there’s marks.” I smile at her. “That’s all.”

She smiles and pokes her own tummy. “Will I get some too?” She sounds excited.

I tilt my head and pull on a light dress since it’s fucking hot as balls outside along with some tights. “Why do you ask?”

“They look like tiger stripes! You’re a scawy tiger! Rawr!” She giggles.

A smile lights up my face at her childish antics. _Tiger stripes. I’m a fierce tiger! Hah! Fuck everyone who judges me, I could kill them! I’m a ferocious tiger!_ I laugh at myself. _Okay, maybe that’s a little too far._

Phedra grins at me. “Bebe is all pretty! Bebe is wearing pastels! Bebe looks so cute!” Phedra walks over and hugs my leg.

I scoop up the child and hug her tightly. “Alright alright. Let's go.” I say with a smile.

We walk downstairs and I spot Cody relaxing back and chatting with Pops and Logan. I wave at him and he waves back with a smile. “You going to go pick up all the guys?” He asks teasingly.

I snort. “I already have a guy, thank you very much. I’m, contrary to not-so-popular belief, not a slut.” He grins at me. “Phe and I were going to get some ice cream and-”

“WE’RE GOING TO SEE JI-JI!” Phedra says excitedly.

Cody chuckles. “Tell him that I miss his sweet ass.” Cody winks at me.

“God fucking damn it.” I mutter before opening and shutting the door.

I carry Phedra out to my car and move her seat from the trunk into the back seat. She gets in and buckles herself in as I do the same up by the drivers side. We drive to a nearby ice cream place and I get Phedra a small vanilla milkshake and a large chocolate one for Jin. I get some water for myself before driving off to Jin’s house.

I think I’m lost for a second before I see the big white thing seem to appear out of nowhere. I pull into the driveway before exiting the car, leaving my empty water bottle in the car. Phedra gets out and take my hand, and I walk to her to shed garage thing.

With a quick look around, I open the door up, stepping inside with Phedra, before shutting the door behind. “Where was it… mmm… Ah!”

In two quick steps I walk over to the metal pole and pull the lever behind it. Phedra lets out a shriek of excitement as the floor descends. We both blink a few times as light penetrates our vision. 

We get to the bottom and we both look around for a big trying to spot Jin. Phedra does and looks at me, eagerly pointing. I follow her gaze and smile a bit before walking over to him, scooping up Phedra with my free arm.

He seems focused on his work so I watch him for a few moment before deciding to speak. “Heya.” My voice is soft, but loud enough for him to hear.

Jin moves away from the car and looks over at me. “Hey.”

“Ji-Ji!” Phe says, making grabby hands at Jin with a bright smile. “Bebe got you a milkshake! Cause she’s super sweet like that!” My face heats up a bit, and I laugh a bit, embarrassed.

Jin eyes me and I hand him the cup. “It’s chocolate, wasn’t sure what you would like, but I remember you had gotten hot cocoa the first time we met… Chocolate seemed like the better option.” I start to chew my lip. “Uh… maybe I should’ve asked…”

He smiles brightly. "I love chocolate!" Grabbing the milkshake, he takes a sip. Then smiles even more. "It's awesome, thanks a lot!"

I blush a bit and shift Phedra a bit on my hip before scratching the back of my head with my free hand. “G-Good to know.”

Phedra grins. “Bebe remembered that you got hot cocoa from your first date..? That was like two weeks ago. Wow. Bebe has a bad memory. How did you remember that little detail..? She must really love you.”

“U… uh… Hah. I just did..?” I scratch the back of my head again before looking at Jin. “Anyways, we aren’t intruding or anything, are we?”

"Nah, not at all. I'm almost done anyways." He walks besides an old model car that looks brand-new, even shinning. He pets its roof affectionately. "A few more tweeks and this old dog will roar like a puppy."

A smile pulls at my lips and Phedra looks at me. She grins and whispers to my ear. “Bebe. You’re looking at him like a teenager who’s lovestruck.”

I blush and shoot her a look, she just grin. I turn my attention back to Jin. “It looks beautiful.”

He takes a long sip of the milkshake. "Hey, wanna show Phe around? Meanwhile, I'll finish."

I nod a bit. “Yeah, sure. Just come find us when you're done.”

Phedra pouts a bit and hugs me. “It won’t be long, right..?”

Jin comes over and ruffles her hair. "A few minutes at most. I promise, princess." He then looks at me. "Oh, and be careful if you touch anything. Each weapon is sharpened."

I nod a bit. “Alright, I will.” I reach over and gently rub his cheek where there’s a smudge of something. “There…” I mutter when I rub it off. “Anyways, we’ll be over yonder.” I gesture vaguely to the door.

Phedra giggles and kisses Jin’s forehead. “See you inna bit Ji-Ji!”

I set her down and have her hold my hand before walking over to door. I stop and turn to Jin. “Hey!” Jin looks at me, sipping the milkshake. “My step-dad said he misses your sweet ass.”

Jin chuckles. “Tell him I miss his too.”

I snort before going into the room full of weapons. Maybe not the best place for a child, but she’s smart.

She oohs and aahs over the craftsmanship, and I reach up around my neck, gently rubbing the silver necklace Jin made me that I’ve been wearing just about everyday since he gave it to me. Phedra notices this and pulls on my hand. “What’s that, Bebe?”

I crouch down to her level. “Jin made this for me.” A warm smile comes across my lips. “It’s beautiful.”

She smiles brightly. “It’s so pretty!”

I smile a bit. “Yep.”

Jin walks in a few minutes later, grinning like a schoolboy. “All done?”

“Yep!” He says proudly.

His eyes almost seem to sparkle in a way I’ve never really seen before. He looks so happy. It warms my heart, a lot.

“Ji-Ji! You make really pretty stuff!” She gasps. “YOU SHOULD MAKE YOUR WEDDING RINGS!”

I smack my face with a hand. “Phedra…”

He winks at her. "Who says I haven't done them already?"

Phedra gasps louder. “I WANNA SEE THEM!” She gives Jin her biggest puppy dog eyes. “If you’ve made them! Pleaseeeeeeeee?”

A smile plays along my lip and I shake my head a but at them, the pink blush still on my cheeks.

"Nooope.” Jin smiles. “They're for only Kat to see, when the day comes." He leans down and boops the kiddos nose.

Phedra pouts and sniffles. With a small breath I walk over to the kiddo and scoop her up. “Hey, come on kiddo. One day I’m sure you’ll be able to see them.” I shoot Jin a look which asks: ‘Did you seriously make fucking rings?’

Phedra snuggles into my boobs and hiccups. “O-Okay…”

I pat the kiddo’s head. “Now now. Don’t be using your tears and cuteness to try and get Jin to do something, lil miss.” My voice is playfully stern.

She moves her face from my chest and pouts. “It was gonna work!”

“You don’t guilt people into things.” I say softly. “Remember? That makes people feel really bad inside and it’s not something you wanna do.”

She nods solemnly before resting her face back against my chest, looking at Jin. “Sowwy Ji-Ji.”

He gives her a double thumbs up and a smile. "If you want I can ask her now, so you can see them.~"

Phedra’s face brightens. “REALLY? I wanna see..." She pauses. "But... I dun want you to make a bad decision by getting mawwied so soon and then finding out you hate each other or something..."

My cheeks heat up and I rub Phedra’s back with one hand, looking at her, supporting Phedra by her butt with one arm, her arms wrapped around my neck. I press a gentle kiss to her forehead, and she looks at up then Jin.

Jin doesn't say anything for a moment. Then, he walks up to to us and bends so he’s at eye level with her. Very softly, he says. "That won't happen." He smiles and rubs her hair. "We love each other, and, if we marry, we will only love each other even more."

My face heats up a bit and I smile warmly at the little girl. Phedra watches Jin. “R-Really..?” Tears come to her eyes and she sniffles, one blink causing the tears to fall.

"Really." We both say the word at the same time. We look at each other for a moment before returning our attention to the kiddo. Jin makes a gesture over the left side of his chest. "Cross my heart."

Phedra sniffles again, rubbing her nose a bit. “I-I hope you two do mawwy… I-I feel like… You two are kinda perfect for each other…” She looks at both of us before a smile lifts her cheeks. “Yeah. Weally cute too. And you can talk about your issues wif each other! And if you had kids they’d be weally cute!” Her mood shifts as she starts to think about it more, and I set her down on the ground.

She immediately holds my hand before reaching to Jin with her other hand wanting to hold his hand. “Can we go to the park?”

"Sure.” He looks at me, taking Phedra’s hand. "Shall we, m'lady?"

I laugh a bit. “The little boss’s words are my orders.” I look at the kiddo fondly. “Isn’t that right, you little rascal?” I ruffle her hair  
with my free hand. 

Phedra smiles brightly. “Yep!”

Jin chuckles and we walk out to the outside world again. 

We get into my car, since I have the seat in it for Phedra, and I drive us to a nearby park. Jin resides in the backseat with the little rascal. He keeps doing something which makes Phedra burst into laughter. Which in turn makes him laugh. Which warms my fucking heart.

I’m almost sad when I park into the spot and turn the car off. “Ready to go?”

Jin and Phedra both nod before getting out of the car, I follow in suit. Immediately, Phedra takes one of each of our hands, holding them in her small chubby ones before walking to the jungle gym, which is rather empty.

 _God bless this child._ I think.

I look over at Jin who’s smiling warmly at the kiddo, one hand in his jacket pocket. Frowning a bit, I let go of Phedra’s hand and she eyes me. “What’s up Bebe..?”

“Gonna go grab some water. We shouldn’t get too dehydrated. Especially with you running the show here, miss limitless energy.” I ruffle her hair before turning.

I almost run smack dab into a curious woman. “What a cute family.” She says warmly. “How old is she?”

“Eight years.” I say, quirking an eyebrow. “Family?”

“Why yes. I mean, she doesn’t share her father’s hair color, but she seems to resemble you a lot more.” The woman says.

My face burns red. “Hah. No, no. That’s my little sister and my boyfriend.”

The woman frowns. “How old are you..?”

“Twenty-one, ma’am.”

She blinks. “Oh my! I’m so sorry!” Her cheeks turn rosy in embarrassment. “You look to be in your early thirties.”

 _Is that an insult..? Hah. Lets say no._ “I get that a lot.” I smile, and look behind me, noticing that the other two were at the play area already. 

“Oh! I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to keep you away from your little sister and boyfriend!” The lady smiles. “It was nice to meet you.”

I nod at her before walking off to go get some water. When I get back, Jin is pushing Phedra on the swings. I smile at them and they both smile back. I hand Jin a water bottle and set the other two in my purse. “Sorry I was little late. There was a line and a lady stopped me.”

“What about?” Jin asks.

“Er. She thought you were my husband and Phedra was our kiddo.” I laugh a bit. “She thought I was in my thirties or something. Christ. I don’t think I look that old.” I bite my lip. “Wait… Do I look that old?”

“Nope! You look a bit older than your age, maybe, Bebe. But not in your thirties.” Phedra says happily.

I laugh and shake my head a bit. “Eh, whatever.”

“Bebe! Push me!” Phedra says energetically.

I nod and start to do so, Jin standing off a bit to my right, drinking his water. Every time Phedra swings past him she grins and says “Ji-Ji!” And he replies with “Your majesty” or “Princess.”

After a few minutes of that another woman, most likely a mother due to her kids trotting up behind her, comes up with a bright smile. “I just wanted to say that you are a beautiful family.” She says kindly.

“Thanks.” Jin speaks before I can say anything. “We are.”

I blink a few times before elbowing him in the side gently. “We aren’t a family technically. Phedra isn’t our kiddo and we aren’t married.” I whisper to him.

The woman smile at us. “How old is she?” She gestures to Phedra vaguely.

“I’m eight!” Phedra says cheerfully.

“Oh my. You’re a big girl.” She smiles at Phedra before looking at Jin and myself. “Oh, I’ll let you three have your family time.” She walks away with her kids in tow.

I look at Jin again. “So why exactly did you lie to that woman in saying we were a family..?”

He looks at me with a confused expression. "What do you mean?"

I purse my lips. “Do you know what she meant by calling us a beautiful family?”

He tilts his head. "Whatever she meant, a family is a kind of bond, not an organization. She said that we are a family, which is true."

An amused sigh leaves me and a smile pulls at my lips. “I mean, you have a point.”

Phedra stops the swing and hops off, looking at Jin. “Ji-Ji. She thought I was your child and Bebe was your wife. Cause Bebe and I look so similar.” She smile brightly. “But ye! We’re not that kinda family, but we are a family!”

I smile warmly at her, ruffling her hair. “Kiddo is right.” My gaze returns to Jin. “So in a way you were lying but not.” I shrug a bit before scooping up the kiddo and setting her onto my shoulders.

Phedra, now so much taller, reaches over and plays with Jin’s hair a bit. “Hehe. So soft.”

He observes the kid, amused. "If that lady had the concept of family wrong, that's none of my business. She spoke truth, even if she herself didn't know so. Accidental or not, truth and kindness are always to be appreciated."

Phedra continues to play with his hair so I take a step forward so it’s a bit easier on my neck. “That’s true.” I smile up a him as Phedra pulls her fingers through his hair gently. “That looks fun, Phedra.”

She nods and smiles brightly. “It is! So soft!”

I laugh a bit, taking another step forward because she leaned forward more, and I find my face and Jin’s face not too far apart. My hands hold Phedra’s legs and heat rises to my cheek. “Hello, I apologize for the close proximity. The little kiddo seems to be infatuated with your hair.”

He smiles. Suddenly, he passes an arm around my waist and pulls me even closer. "And you seem infatuated with the whole package.~"

I eye him as Phedra continues to play with Jin’s hair, completely ignoring us. “Yeah, I am. Fell in love with the entire package. Through the scars and the rough times, I’ll still love you.” I let go of one of Phedra’s legs and rest it on the left side of his face, running my thumb across the scar on his cheek. “You’re so beautiful.” I say softly. “I could stare at you for the rest of my life and die happy.”

"If you have time to think about a beautiful death, you should use it to think about how to live a beautiful life." Jin speaks softly.

“A life with you would be the most beautiful life I could imagine.” I smile warmly at him.

_God I want to kiss him… But like. Not in public or in front of Phedra. Hah. Haha. Passionate kiss. Yee boy. That sounds fucking great._

He quirks an eyebrow. "Save that one for the marriage proposition, cutie."

I laugh a bit. “I’ll have to write it down then. For another day.”

Phedra finally decides that she’s done with playing with Jin’s hair rests her chin on my head. “What are you two talking about?” She asks softly.

"Marriage, life and the concept of family in modern society." He shrugs. "Boring adult stuff."

I laugh a bit and Phedra yawns, laying her head down on top of mine. “Are you sleepy, baby?”

“Mm…” She hums and then her stomach growls loudly. “Hungwy…”

“Want some food?” I look up at her to the best of my abilities, rubbing her legs gently. 

“Mhmm…” She sounds tired as well.

“Okay, we can get some food and then you can take a nap, sound good?” I feel her nod and I look at Jin. “Would you want to tag along or do you want me to drop you off at your house?”

Phedra rubs the top of my head. "You should come Ji-Ji..."

"I'll go. Work's done for today." Jin smiles.

“Yay!” Phedra says, smiling brightly. “Ji-Ji..? Can you hold me..?” She pats my head a bit, not really looking at him, I don’t think. “You don’t hafta, just wondering. Bebe is weak and I dun wanna walk…”

_AWW FUCK SHE SOUNDS SO SHY! AAAAAAH! I mean she called me weak but whatever! She’s still fucking cute._

Jin grins and bows his head. “My pleasure, your highness.” He then takes her off my shoulders.

With a small huff, I make a face at the kiddo, who just shoots me a victorious grin, hugging Jin tightly. I shake my head before walking over to the car. They follow me, I can hear Phedra giggling and Jin chuckling behind me. It sends a mild stab of pain into my chest but I shake off with a sigh.

We get into the car, Jin buckling the kiddo in, the kiddo falling asleep almost immediately after being out down. Jin comes up and sits in the passenger’s seat. I rest my forehead on the wheel for a few minutes, also tired, before letting out a small groan and pushing myself back up. “Alrighty.” I look over at Jin who looks a bit worried.

“You okay?”

“Just sleepy is all.” I smile before leaning over and pressing a soft kiss to his lips.

I lean back into my seat and start the car, before pulling out of the parking spot and driving the a nearby diner to have lunch or maybe dinner, not sure.

Dinner goes by quickly, Phedra being a big goofball and energetic, me just being mostly quiet but giggly, and Jin just being himself.

Phedra, at one point, smacked me in the face with a pancake and then forced me to eat it.

Not a pleasant experience.

I mean the pancake was delicious, but getting smacked in the face with one while it’s hot isn’t that fun. Jin seems overly amused at our actions.

Jin ends up paying, because Phedra conveniently needs to use the restroom as the check comes out. They must’ve planned this or something.

Anyways, I drive back to my house, Phedra exiting the car and going up to her father. He scoops her up, walking over to his car. He bods to me and winks at Jin before buckling Phedra in and driving home.

I turn to Jin and eye him sleepily. “I’ll drive you back to your house if you want me to.”

Jin shakes his head. “I can get back by myself.”

I frown. “Mm. Either I’m driving you there or you’re staying here. I know you can protect yourself just fine, but I’m being selfish and hopefully I don’t guilt trip you, but I would rather know you’re safe right than be terrified about if you may die or something.” I say softly. “So, your place or my place?” 

Jin chuckles. “My place.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “That way we have privacy.~”

I wink at him, energy being restored a bit before pulling out of the driveway. “Perfect.” I say with a grin.

\-----

 

Jin opens the door, steps to the side and makes a bow. Kat giggles and enters.

She stops at the entrance, obviously not used to the labyrinth of books that is his house.

He enters and closes the door. Then, he smiles with a smug expression. "Oh, you lost?~"

She shoots him an annoyed look that just makes him laugh. Grabbing her hand, he guides her to the living room, and leaves her sit on the sofa. Giving her a quick kiss on the lips (the first of many, hopefully) he starts walking towards the kitchen. "Will be right back."

In there, he opens the fridge, humming softly to himself, and grabs a bottle of champagne.

_Oh? Romantic night?_

"Romantic night."

_Should I leave you two alone?_

"Yep."

_Till morning then._

Jin smiles to himself. Good day, good work done, good company and, hopefully, a good night. This day could very well become his favorite.

Back on the living room with the bottle and two glasses, he sits down. Kat eyes him curiously. "Got any plan?"

"You are my plan." She blushes a bit and giggles. "Case in point..." He moves quickly and gives her a long kiss on the lips, which she reciprocates. Once they separate, both grinning like idiots, he fills both glasses.

Kat seems a bit doubtful. "I’m not used to drinking..." She bites her lip. "Oh, fuck it! Just this once!"

Giving her one of the glasses, he raises his. "For a great day."

She raises hers with a smile. "And all that are to come."

Both glasses make a satisfactory *cling*.

What a great day...

What’s the worst that could happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos, comments, blah blah blah. BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHH. Thanks for reading. FEAR THE FORESHADOWING! ~Faggot.


	12. ... And its Downs

So, alcohol doesn’t taste all that great, is what I’ve learned today. But, for the sake of a celebration, why the fuck not? I sip the liquid, having downed a glass already, annnddd I’m feeling the effects. Shit.

I’m so giggly and just overall happy and it seems like Jin is enjoying it a lot more than probably is necessary.

So, I’m a lightweight. Which I should have figured because I’ve never had alcohol before. _Well, at least I’m getting a shit ton of kisses from Jin. That’s fucking cute._

We’re sitting, me on Jin’s lap, and just watching each other, giggling. We lean forward at the same time, capturing each other’s lips. His hands grip my hips and mine tangle into his hair. _God fucking damnit… I love this so fucking much. It’s too good though. What’s going to ruin it? Me probably._

We break apart, both of our cheeks pink. I let out a content sigh and snuggle against him, curling up on his lap, my head on his shoulder. Jin reaches up and starts to pet my hair and scratch my scalp. I let out a hum that could’ve been a purr, but who cares.

Then…

Maybe the alcohol was a bad idea. I’m kinda haphazardly laying across Jin’s lap, both of us just staring at each other. I giggle a bit as Jin’s hand rubs my stomach, patting it every so often.

And then either my dress rides up, not showing anything due to the booty shorts and tights I had on underneath. His hand touches my bare stomach accidentally and I freak out, and fall off the couch, staring at him. “D-Don’t!” I push down my dress staring at him. “M-My stomach is gross…”

Jin looks at me oddly. “What..?”

I grip the front of my dress tightly and look down, the alcohol messing with my mind. “I-I have scars all over my tummy and back and legs and practically all over my body! A-And… they’re ugly! A-And…” I look up at him. “Y-You wo-won’t l-love me i-if I sh-show them!”

He smiles reassuringly. "Kat, whatever you have, believe me. I have way more and way worse. You don't have to worry about it."

I shake my head violently. “N-No! Th-they’re all… Ugly! A-And… n-not as bad as yours… b-but! They… They’re all over…” I sniffle and grip my dress more. “th-They…” I rub my nose. “Are all from surgery… From things…” I scoot back. “A-And… From myself…”

_Alcohol wasn’t a good idea. You need to stop this before you say something you’ll regret..._

He grabs her hands. "Kat... You...?”

I turn my head. “W-When I-I was y-younger… j-just… M-Mom… a-and… n-nothin-nothing could… distract me… from her… if I did it… I wouldn’t think…” I feel tears well up in my eyes. “A-And… I-I just…”

_Alcohol was a fucking horrible decision… Look at what you’re sharing… Oh god… Well, you’ll need to explain them at some point so… Sex can happen, because you want it, but you kinda hafta be naked for that to happen..._

His hold tightens. "It's alright. It passed. It passed..."

“Did it..?” My voice is soft.

"I won't let it happen again." Jin’s voice is stern, determined, and full of love,

_How can he love me..? Yeah, he has scars but mine aren’t nearly as bad at his. Why the hell do I think he's going to find them ugly..? Oh. Cause the stories behind them. That’s why._

I grip his hands tightly. “I…” I let go of his hands, dropping mine to my lap. “It didn’t pass… It still happens… Rarely…”

"Then I'll be there. To stop you." I can’t look at him, but his voice is still filled with so much love.

_Why…? Why do you love me so much? Jin…_

“You can’t always be there.” I clasp my hands together. “You can’t always be there…”

He smiles. "Doing the impossible is my speciality."

My lips twitch. “Should I change my name to impossible..?” I laugh. “No… I’m fucking trash…” I shake my head. “But… Seriously… I’m ugly as fuck… I don’t even know what you see in me…” I sigh and slide my hands into my hair. “But… Hey, I shouldn’t say I have ut bad… Hell you have fucking burns on your body, a lotta burns. That fucking hasta hurt like hell. I can’t even fuckin imagine… and I’m saying that I’m so fucking ugly with just having little thin red lines littering my body and angry thick red lines on my thighs. Wow. I’m sorry.” I dig my nails into my scalp. “Fucking god. I’ve been through nothing.”

_She was always right. She said that you didn’t have it as bad as everyone else so you shouldn’t make a big deal out of your bullshit. Wow. And now Jin is going to fucking leave or kick you out, cause you're a fucking failure and you’re drunk so good luck getting home. Maybe you’ll fucking drive off a goddamn cliff and save the entire world from dealing with your bullshit._

He gently holds my hands, pulling them to his lap. "Listen, Kat. An experience and another cannot be measured. Pain, sadness, loneliness... That kind of thing, when it happens to anyone, it hurts. And how much it hurts compared to another... That's not important. All that matters is that you're hurt. You're hurt. And I want to help you."

I shake and looks at him. “Why do you want to help..?”

"I know... How much it hurts. Being alone. Thinking that it won't get better... Thinking... That there's only one way for it to stop hurting. You become tired. Facing the same pain, day after day, after day... And it doesn't hurt less. It just keeps going. Wearing you down. Until, in the end... Even the worst idea seems better." His thumbs rub the back of my knuckles, his voice soft.

I stare at him silently, my hands tightening around his. “I-I-I’m s-so so-sorry… y-you k-know the pa-pain… n-no… n-no…” tears start to roll down my cheeks, letting go of his hand and setting them on his cheeks, my focus gone from myself and just on him. “I-I… I-I wish… y-you hadn-hadn’t… g-gone th-through that…” I shake and my hands drop down onto his lap. “I-I-I’m so sorry!” My hands grin his tightly, tears rushing down my cheeks. “N-Nobody sh-sh-should ha-hafta g-go th-thro-through that!”

He doesn't say anything, he just slowly and gently pulls me into a hug. I grab to him like he was an oasis in the middle of the desert.

I just keep sobbing against his shoulder. He doesn't move. He's not going anywhere. He's here for me.

_But for how long..? How long until he leaves like everyone else?_

After a bit, he whispers softly into my ear. "Wanna know what helps a lot...?"

My entire body is shaking with sobs. “W-w-w-w-what..?” I ask, my face still in his shoulder.

"Love. All we can do is wait, and hope that we will find true love." His voice is soft and he rubs my back.

My face turns red and my sobs increase in intensity, gripping him tightly. “Jin… Jin… J-Jin…” My tears intensify. “Jin… I-I-I-I Love you so fucking much. Please. Please. Please. Please.” My shaking intensifies. “D-Don’t leave. Please. Please. Please. Please. Even… if… I hurt myself… and… I’m ugly. Please… J-Jin… I-I… I-I can’t h-h-h-handle a-another o-one… I-I can’t!”

“I won’t…” He says, gently rubbing my back and scratching my head.

_But will he really not leave..? Everyone leaves._ The thought burns through my brain.

I keep repeating the word: “Please” for hours until I pass out, still in his lap, my face still in his shoulder.

\-----

When she finally falls asleep, Jin carefully lays her on the sofa and covers her with a blanket. Then, he sighs tiredly.

Dammit.

Looking at the bottle, more than half still full since Kat and him hadn’t drank much, he shrugs. Picking it up, he finishes it with a long sip. He isn’t going to get drunk from that, but it should help him sleep.

Yeah, right. Sleep. Unlikely.

In silence, he grabs the empty bottle and the glasses and moves to the kitchen. He leaves the glasses on the sink. When he is about to throw the bottle into the bin, he stops. He stares at the bottle. Would Kat wake up if he smashed it against a wall?

Anger surges from within. He feels like breaking something. Hurting someone. Doing SOMETHING. ANYTHING.

His grip tightens and a few cracks start appearing on the surface.

No.

He exhales, slowly. His hold relaxes. He throws the bottle into the bin. He can hear the muffled sound of it breaking from the fractures.

He returns to the living room. Putting the table as separation between him and Kat, he sits on the floor after grabbing a book. He alternates between reading and watching over Kat.

He doesn’t fall asleep. Whether it is out of worry for Kat, or fear of the nightmares that will surely come, he doesn’t know. After some hours, the violent impulse returns, but he casts it down again. He is used to subduing his rage.

He waits. And he hopes.

\-----

_I’m sitting in a chair, strapped down. Seven people have already been slaughtered in front of me, their blood pooling on the floor and I can feel it on my feet. Pops. Cody. Phedra. Logan. Mom. Sarah. Tabby._

_My eyes are dry, no more tears left in them._

_Until the fuckers bring up the next person. Pristine white hair and piercing blue eyes that immediately fixate on me. My heart clenches as I watch the other men quickly push Jin into the chair across from me, strapping him in. I feel confused, they never strapped anyone else down._

_Then they come to me, and I know what they’re going to make me do. I scream and kick at them after they undo my legs from their bindings. Next are my arms and I’m free to stand up. But I don’t._

_Jin looks almost scared._

_One of the men puts a gun in my hand and the other stands behind me, making me hold the gun properly and aim it at Jin. My heart feels like it’s going a million miles per hour. I don’t want to do this. Stop!_

_I lock eyes with Jin and my throat tightens. I try to look away when I feel my finger being pushed down but another hand reaches and turns my head so I had to look at Jin. My sweet… sweet… Jin._

_The last look he gives me is one of betrayal, as if he couldn’t see the man forcing me to do this._

_The bullet goes right through his skull. His eyes are still open, but the warmth behind the blue dies. My heart feels like it collapses and stop. But it’s still beating._

_Fresh tears come to my eyes and I drop, the man not holding onto me anymore. A splash resonates through the room as I hit the blood on the floor, dirtying my clothes._

_I hear the gun cock and I feel it aimed at me. But I awaken before the trigger is pulled._

And I awake with a sudden jolt, sitting up quickly, grabbing my chest, and gasping for breath. Tears overwhelm me for a minute or so before panic seizes my heart.

My head jerks and I look around for any sign of life. This isn’t my house, it’s Jin’s. 

H-He’s not here.

My throat tightens and I pick up my phone, sending a text to a small rarely used group chat. Everyone replies saying they’re alive and well.

But Jin.

I hear a door open and someone letting out a small sigh.

Jin…?

My voice doesn’t work with how tight my throat is.

It’s not until I spot Jin’s hair that let myself sag in relief, letting out a few soft whimpers. I’m guessing he either heard me or just saw that I was up, cause he’s beside me in about a second.

I don’t reach out for him, mildly scared it’s all just an illusion and he’s going to turn into a bloody corpse if I touch him.

“Kat?” Jin says, voice soft.

“Y-Yeah..?”

“Are you okay?”

“I-I… I’m f-fine.” My voice shakes as the memories of last night hit me. “Oh fuck…” I say quietly to myself.

“You don’t seem fine.” Jin seems tense.

_Fuck I caused that, didn’t I?_

“I… I had a nightmare…” My voice is soft.

_Good, tell the truth. That way he won’t feel so inclined to fucking kick you out of his house for being a peice of shit._

He puts a hand on my shoulder. "Wanna talk about it?"

My eyes dart up to look at his. “I… I-If you wouldn’t mi-mind… I… I think I do…”

_Well don’t fucking burden him with your fucking troubles!_ I tell my mind to shut up mentally.

He smiles reassuringly. "Always."

A light blush comes across my cheeks and I shift a bit. “I watch people die… right in front of me… and there’s nothing I can do about it… that’s the gist…” I look down at my lap, my hands gripping the blanket. “I… My dad died from getting a piece of a car stabbed through his heart, something that could’ve happened… Cody died from hanging, he was suicidal at one point in his life… Phedra died… with a knife through her heart, which could’ve happened one day because I wasn’t keeping a close enough eye on her… Logan died by getting run over by a car while intoxicated… almost happened once. Mom… She just died...” I take a breath. “My friend Sarah died from someone… Raping her then killing her… my friend Tabby died by slitting her own throat…” Tears well up in my eyes. “A-And… y-you… i-I… I-I fucking h-had t-to sh-shoot you… I-I…” my hands clutch the blanket tightly.

He doesn't say anything for a bit. Until he lets out a short humorless laugh.

I look at him. “S-Sorry… It’s stupid…”

He shakes his head. "No, it's not that." He then... Pulls down a bit of his shirt? What the...

"Here." Showing me his right shoulder, I spot a scar in the middle of it. It's a gunshot.

I blink and then frown. “Jeez… How accurate…” I mumble then look at him. “D… Did I bring up any bad memories..? S-Sorry if I did…”

He pulls the shirt to its place. He makes an ironic smile. "No. A rather pleasant one. Not a good one, but a pleasant one."

A frown pulls at my lips. “I see…” I look down at my lap, fiddling with the blanket.

_Apologize for the shit you said last night. You see? He’s been fucking shot. How could you’re stupid fucking surgeries and ‘poor pitiful me’ shit with cutting yourself match up to getting fucking shot and burned? They fucking can’t. Apologize you fucking stupid bitch._

“S-Sorry.” I blurt out before he can say anything else. “S-Sorry about… everything…”

"It's okay. My fault anyways for suggesting the drinking thing."

I start to shake. “N-no… I… It would’ve been fine… It’s kinda my fault… Just stupid shit.” I grip the blanket even tighter. “I’m sorry for ruining the day… I feel like I did…”

He starts rubbing my hair softly. "It's okay. Not your fault." He gives me a bright big smile.

With a soft noise of content, my hands loosen their grip on the blanket and I lean against the back of the couch. “Mm… I… I still ruined the evening…”

"Well, then..." He leans towards me with a mischievous smile, stopping at barely a palm from my face. "We'll have to make up for it~."

My eyes widen a bit and I reach up, gently cupping both of his cheeks with my hands. “What do you mean by that?”

"What do you think it means?~" His grin is still their.

My gaze flicks to his mouth, then back to his eyes. “I’m not sure…” My thumb over his left cheek. “I…” My eyebrows furrow a bit. “I… I love you, Jin.” I say softly, the words kind of just tumbling out of my mouth without anything keeping them in. “I love you so much…” I close the space between us, placing the gentlest of kisses onto his mouth before pulling away. “I’m sorry about being me…”

"I'm not." He smiles softly. "I wouldn't choose anyone else. Never."

We stare at each other for what feels like a few minutes but could have only been a few second before my hands go into his hand and his wrap around my waist, pulling me close as our lips crash together. My hands tangle into his hair as our lips move like a married couple’s first dance. God it’s hot.

We pull away from each other, both of our faces a bit red, and we’re both panting softly.

I continue to stare at him for a big, pressing more soft kisses along his mouth and jaw.

_I wanna fuck him._ My mind supplies.

“God…” I move my face back and stare at him. “I really wanna fuck you right now.”

_Did you… really… say… that..?_

Jin wiggles his eyebrows. “That can be arranged.~”

I continue to stare at him, waiting for him ti make a move. He seems confused. “Wait..? You’re serious?” He looks to the side. “I… Uh… Feel flattered?”

I blink a couple of times and then turn red when I realize what I said. “OH! OH GOD! I’M SORRY! I MEAN THAT’S A TRUE FACT BUT LIKE I DON’T THINK I’M READY FOR THAT AND I DON’T THINK YOU ARE EITHER! AAAAA! FUCK I’M SORRY!”

Jin just looks at me for a few seconds before laughing, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close. I let my hands fall out of his hair, hugging him as he laughs, with a pout on my face. “Stop laughing at meeeeee!” My cheeks puff out and I hug him tighter. “I’m serious! About wanting to fuck you… But I doubt either of us would be comfortable.” I nuzzle his shoulder gently.

He continues to laugh and I feel giggles bubbling up inside of me but I shove them down. “Jinnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn. Stop laughhhhing at meeeeeeeee!”

He continues to laugh and I let out a huff of defeat before starting to giggle. My arms wrap around him tighter and his wrap around me tighter as we laugh, my head against his shoulder and his head on mine.

Our laughter dies down after a few minutes and I let my eyes close for a little, comfortable. Jin rubs my back gently and I shiver then flinch when he runs his hand down a long scar that runs down my back. He seems to notice and lays a palm against my back, not rubbing just sitting there.

“Sorry.” I say, my voice soft.

“Don’t be.” His voice is just as soft.

We sit in silence for a while. “Do you…” I pull away from him. “Uh…” His arms loosen from around me but stay where they are around me. “I… uh… Want to tell you about the scars… Maybe some of them at least…” I say softly. “Because… I feel like you should know, and if it wasn’t today, then it would be a different day. If you’re willing to listen, I think I want to tell somebody…”

“Always.” Jin says, smiling warmly.

“They aren’t as bad as what you went through.” I smile back. “It’s still pretty shitty, but you’ll probably… It’ll seem less bad to you.” I sigh softly. “The one on my back that you accidentally touched is probably the easiest to explain. I have a bunch of back issues due to a lot of different things. Bad posture, large chest, history of bad spinal issues with my family, etc. all contributed. So that was from a surgery because one if the little things between my spinal cords got fucked up, and so they had to fix it. The scar is long because they thought it was in one place and then realized it was higher up.” I look at him. “Everything was caused by other people, who injured something inside of me or whatever and caused me to hafta get them fixed. A lot of internal bleeding. Cept some which were caused by me and a few which were caused by my cats.” I chew my lip. “I have one on my stomach,” I carefully lean back and trace the scar which reaches from the bottom of my sternum down to my belly button. “My mother, when she first started to do physical abuse, accidentally stabbed me in the stomach. She had caused a few other cuts on my tummy and cut up my arms and legs with very small wound that you can’t see much anymore. But she, I don’t remember very well cause I blacked out a bit, but I think it was like one of my intestines she stabbed, it hurts to think about it but she called an ambulance immediately after she did that” -or was it Pops who came home and did that or a neighbor..?- “because she hadn’t meant to harm me that much.” -maybe… that’s probably a lie…- “And the doctors patched me up…” I lay my head against his shoulder. “Those are the biggest ones other than the ones I inflicted on myself…”

Jin stays silent for a bit, looking at me. Then, without a word, he starts unbuttoning his shirt.

My face starts to heat up and I blink repeatedly. “W-What ar-are you doing? Wh-wh-whyyy a-are y-you tak-taking off your sh-shirt..?”

_Heh. Haha. AAAAAAAA FUCK WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? J-Jin… FUCK… HNNNNGGG!_

He takes it off and I become mute. Saying that he has scars doesn't even approach it. His whole body is covered in them. Lines, circular forms, the burn in the arm...

With a serious look, he point towards one on the chest. "Knife. Stabbed." He moves on to another on the same area. "Pistol. Shot." Another one near the abdominals. "Debris. From a bomb's explosion."

He keeps going. On the body the majority receive definitions as "pistol" or "knife". When he moves to the arms, they change to "knife" and "Pipe. Punishment."

He reaches the burn mark on his arm. There, he hesitates a moment before talking. "Heated metal. From an explosion." He makes a strange face. "This kind hurt the most..."

My eyes drift from scar to scar as he points them out. With every word he speaks I feel myself flinching and clutching my shirt tighter. _Who hurt this wonderful man… Who the hell do I need to kill…?_ My eyes narrow as I look at the burned mark and I shake my head a bit trying to get rid of the anger swelling up inside of me. _HOW COULD SOMEONE DO THIS?! I want them to die a slow painful death…_ I shut ny eyes tightly then open them, looking up at his face. “Jesus christ Jin.” I tentatively rest my hands on his cheeks. “I…” I frown and look at his chest and arms again before looking at his face. “I’m so fucking sorry…”

He smiles a bit. “It’s okay. Wasn’t your fault.”

I frown and shake my head a bit. “I know… but… You’re young and I don’t think anyone should have fucking had to go through all of that at such a young age… Christ…” Tears come up to my eyes and I force them down, not wanting to lose it at the moment.

He caresses my cheek. "Hey, no crying. Smile! You have a sexy guy half-naked in front of you!"

A frown pulls my lips and I look at him. “Fuck, you’re right. But… I don’t think this is really the time to think about that.”

_Even though I want to hardcore fucking push him down on the couch and kiss each and every one of his scars. Then-_ My cheeks flood with color and I shake my head a bit, not wanting to go down that train of thought right now.

"You know..." He says with a smug smile. "The key of happiness passes by accomplishing your wants and dreams~.”

My eyes lock onto his. “Oh really?~” The corners of my mouth lift into a grin. “Those are some very dangerous words Jin.”

"I like to live dangerously." He extends both arms to the sides. "If you think I can't handle it... Prove it~."

My heart starts to pound. “I… I…” my face blooms into a vibrant shade of red and my hands go to my face, covering it to the best of my abilities. “Jinnnnnn… you can’t sayyy stuff like thattt!” I say into my hands.

He laughs and starts petting my head. "Don't let your dreams by memes!"

My head shoots up and I eye him. “I’m… So done with your shit.” I say with a huff, cheeks still a vibrant red.

His smile widens. He softly rests his forehead against mine. "All I'm saying is: Whatever you feel like doing, you can do it."

My heart pounds faster and my hands shake as I reach up to rest my hands on his cheeks. “You’re so gorgeous… You’re so fucking gorgeous…” My voice is soft and my teeth bite my bottom lip, my thumbs rubbing his cheek. “I… want to do a lotta things, but there’s such things as boundaries. As well as I don’t know what the fuck I’d be doing.” I laugh softly. “So, I think I’ll just suppress those wants for now.”

"Just call me the day you want to figure it out." He winks. "Will be fun."

I snort, shaking my head a bit. I move and kiss his lips gently before pulling away. “Probably won’t be fun.” Smiling a bit, I shake my head. “Definitely won’t be fun.” My eyes flick back to his. “Not because of you though.”

"Oh, believe me... Will be fun~..." Jin grins.

“Yeah, sure. It’ll be a whole lotta fun with a very unattractive and inexperienced female.” I roll my eyes, leaning back a bit and stretching my arms over my head. “You should probably put your shirt back on. I mean, I don’t want you to, but for your own comfort, it’d probably be a good idea.” A smile pulls at my lips.

He shrugs. But pulls the shirt on. "Partypooper."

“Hey, you didn’t hafta. I just didn’t want you to be uncomfortable.” My smile widens.

He smirks. "That's why I'm not buttoning it." He sits back, shirt open. He winks at me playfully. "Enjoy the show~."

A loud laugh escapes me, and I cover my mouth with a hand. When I calm down into a small fit of giggles, I look at him. “I’m still sorry bout last night… Is there anything I can do to make up for it?” I tilt my head to the side, still smiling a bit, my hand still covering my mouth.

"Yes, there is." He closes his eyes, a little smirk on his face.

I quirk an eyebrow and set my hands on my lap, shifting a bit. “What can I do?”

He opens an eye. "You know how truth or dare works, right? We've done truth, time for dare."

A snort escapes me. “Okay, fair enough.” I lean against the couch a bit. “What do I hafta do?”

"I dare you... To, one of this days, get as pretty as you can, and bring me to a nice place." He raises both hands. "Treat me like a prince. Be romantic. Spoil. ME."

I press my lips together, trying to hide my laughter. “I can’t get pretty, you big doofus.” A smile comes across my face and a little giggle escapes me. “What happens if I fail the dare?”

"Then..." He closes his eyes. "You'll have to find another way to give me a night of fun~..."

“And if I can’t do that?” A smile spreads across my face. “Do I just die then?” I ask jokingly.

"Then I spank you. Which I think satisfies both parties."

My face flushes red. “That’s a good deal.” I say softly, looking down at my hands. “Whyyy not… Alllll threeeeee?” I giggle a bit. “Kidding…” _I’m really not._ “I think I can handle that. The only thing I’ll probably fail at is being pretty, but I’m sure someone can do that… even if I hafta put a bag over my head…” I tap my lips.

"Don't be dumb. You're the prettiest girl in the world. At least, for me."

My cheeks turn a darker red and I blink. “Hah. You’re funny. Haha.” I pat his shoulder a bit. “Hilarious. Good joke, good joke. A real knee-slapper that one.”

He grabs my arm and pulls me closer. Levelling his gaze with mine, he says very seriously. "I'm not kidding."

My heart starts to pound loudly. “Hah… Hah… You’re funny. Seriously. Anyone and everyone who has ever told me I was pretty has been joking. It was a good laugh for them when they told me and I believed them.” I pat his shoulder again, smiling. “I don’t react much to it anymore, so you don’t hafta say it.”

"I think you're missing a point here.” His eyes stare into mine. “Those people weren’t in a relationship with you.”

“One was…” I say softly. “Maybe it wasn’t anything he thought was real, because it was a dare from a friend and then he dumped me in the worst was possible, but… At the time I thought he actually liked me…” I bite my lip, my eyes flicking down, away from his. “Everyone else were people who said they cared for me… Hah… Until I finally just accepted the fact that everyone was just joking about that…”

His eyes become ice-cold. "Who did that?" I can tell by his tone that he is thinking of doing things to that guy… Not very pleasant things…

“Some kid from highschool…” I shake my head. “Knowing him he’s probably out smoking weed or crack or whatever.” I sigh softly. “Wasn’t a good kid… But from then on out I knew any compliment I got was a joke… hell, sometimes I think you’re going to turn around and tell me this was all just a big joke and that you were just doing this because someone dared you to…” My voice drops and I suddenly feel tears come up to my eyes. “Even though that’s a stupid thought…”

His eyes lose the cold. "Kat, think about it. What is the first thing I ever said to you?"

“I… don’t remember…” My eyebrows furrow together. “Something about ‘It’s a good thing you’re cute or I would be mad that you were late’... Or something along those lines… I thought it was just like something people normally say. I dunno… Thought it was a joke that time too.”

"Was not. First thing I thought when i saw you was: ‘DAMN. Wasn't expecting such a cutie.’ And, the more I know you, the more amazed I am.” He tilts my chin up and looks at me. “You are cute yes, but you are also the most beautiful person I've ever met."

My face turns red and I laugh. “Funny… You’re funny.” I shake my head. “Just… funny. You’re very funny”

"I am fucking hilarious.” He grins. “But I also consider you the most beautiful thing ever. And I'm not joking about that. I think it's part of this whole "being in love" bullshit."

I blush and snort, shaking my head. “There’s no need to lie. I’m not the most beautiful thing ever. I’m no where close.” I look down, frowning. “Yeah, being in love can do that, but even with such an ugly person like me, I don’t think any amount of love could make it seem like I’m beautiful.”

"Look, I'm an albino-looking motherfucker with scars all over.” I frown at his wording “Do you honestly think people usually look at me and say "woah, that guy is hot"? More often than not, people think I look strange or downright unnatural. Now, you don't see me like that. What I want to say is: Fuck other people's opinions. You're the most beautiful thing in MY world. So, deal with it." Jin’s face is serious but there’s affection in his voice.

My cheeks heat up and I laugh a bit. “Don’t put yourself down. That’s not healthy.” I nudge his arm a bit and smile warmly. “I’m a hypocritical little bitch, but seriously. It’s bad.” I pause. “Don’t fuck other people’s opinions. Everyone’s opinions matter. Maybe they’re not good opinions but they still matter.” I giggle. "And if I'm the most beautiful thing in your world, then you haven't traveled enough. There are more beautiful things out there than me."

He raises an eyebrow. "Bitch, my fa-... Old man. He's from Japan. Do you honestly think I haven't travelled?"

“You obviously haven’t travelled enough.” I let out an amused sigh. 

"So, who has the most right to say what is beautiful?"

I shrug. “Not sure. Maybe nobody.” I tap my lips and bite the bottom one. “I mean you being the deciding factor on the most beautiful thing in your life would be logical… But that’s always subject to change.” I hum. “Mm… And you could still always be joking, so I guess I’ll just deal with it. Just going to have to show you more beautiful things.” 

He smirks. "More beautiful things, huh?~" He purrs.

I look up at him. “Do you have an idea of something that would be more beautiful? I’d be willing to show it to you.” I smile warmly.

He wiggles his eyebrows. I pout. “Jin. Are you going to tell me?”

"For the love of…” Jin sighs, running his hands through his hair. “It's like the old man all over again…” He mumbles “SEX, Kat. SEX." His blue eyes return to me.

A frown pulls at my lips. “I mean, with me, I’d ruin it. But if you wanna find a hottie or something and fuck them, go for it man.” I shrug and smile, my voice serious with an underlying joking tone.

He pouts. "That'd be no fun. If sex is happening, is happening with you. Maaaaayyyybe after a nice date you gotta prepare for us."

I quirk an eyebrow. “I’ll start planning that now then.” I wink and stand up, grabbing my phone. "Sadly not tomorrow, I have an art show thingy tomorrow. Maybe the day after?"

"Sure. I'll wait eagerly.~" He winks at me.

I eye him and laugh. "If you wanna come, you can. And if you wanna bring your old man if you want." I blush a bit. "Not that you have to though. Uhhh. There will be a lotta cool shit there, hey, and more beautiful shit then me. Uh... Y-Yeahhh..." I scratch the back of my head nervously.

He smiles. "I'm sure he will love to."

I nod a bit and fidget with my hands a bit. “Uhh… Rad.” I purse my lips and look at him. “Would you mind taking me home? I need to prep some stuff, just a little bit, and kinda need to be home to do that.”

Jin nods and stands up, buttoning his shirt back up. _What a pity._ He walks over to me and I smile warmly.

We walk through the labyrinth of books to the door, and exit the house. Jin drives me home.

I unbuckle my seatbelt and look at him. “Thank you.” I say with a smile. “See you tomorrow?”

He eyes me before nodding. “Yeah. One last thing though.” He says.

I’m about to ask him what was up when he leans forward and kisses my lips tenderly, eyes shut. My own flutter shut and I wrap my arms around his neck. We break away from each other and I giggle a bit before unbuckling my seatbelt. “I’ll start planning out that date after I’m done with the prepping.” I shoot him a wink before getting out if the car.

I can hear his chuckles and I walk up to the front door before waving at him as he drives off. I open the door again and immediately get scooping into a hug.

“Kaaaat!” Pops whines. “You had a nightmare! Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I rub his back. “I’m alright.”

Pops sets me down and looks at my warm smile and overall giddiness. “Wow…” He says softly, shutting the door behind me. “Jin works magic…”

A grin settles across my features and I scamper up the stairs, unlocking my art room, and entering the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is like 8:15 PM I should not be as sleepy as I am currently.
> 
> Also our children have been through a lot of shit. Faggot and I seem to really enjoy torturing our children. Nice.
> 
> Um. Comment and Kudos are appreciated, it makes both of us reallllllllllly happy! Cause it's a together thing and we're both putting effort into it so whenever we see a new hit or a new kudos or a comment we are happy! Well, maybe just me cause I... I dunno Faggot's mind but rad.
> 
> IMMA GO NOW! BYE! My brain isn't worrrkkkkiiiiiiinnnnngggggggg! ~Taba


	13. Fair Deal at The Fair!

The alarm on my phone starts to beep loudly and with a grunt I lift my head and shut it off.

 

“Fuuckkk my neck hurts…” I mutter, rubbing my neck before sitting up. “Wait a second…” My eyes narrow at the desk I’m sitting at. “Shit.”

 

Apparently I passed out in the middle of writing some stuff down, nothing too major, but I was hoping that I would actually be able to sleep in my bed last night. Apparently not. “Well, time to shower and that fun stuff.” I mutter before going to shut the notebook.

 

A few words catch my eye and I blink a couple of times before reading over them. “Date” is written at the very top in large letter. Underneath it were a list of rather nice restaurants that I would have to dip quite a bit into my savings to afford. Some are crossed off but a few of the less expensive but still very fancy ones are left. Each of them have an average cost next to them that makes me wince.

 

The next header is dresses, which are much less expensive but more expensive than what I usually get for clothes. Again, a few of the more expensive ones are crossed off and the less expensive ones are left.

 

There’s another line but I shut the notebook, cheeks red when I read the header. Quickly, I run to my room, gathering up a nice outfit, before running to the bathroom to take a shower. Once that’s over with, I blow dry my hair and get dressed. With one last check at my reflection, I scamper out of the bathroom, grabbing my shoes from my room and slipping those on. Then I pack up my stuff in my art room in my suitcase thingy and bring it downstairs. Logan is still asleep and Pops is out on a run, so I feed the kitties, double check my phone is in my back pocket along with my wallet, then go outside.

 

My car gets packed, and as I finish my dad comes by. I toss him a towel. “Good morning Katrina.” He calls.

 

“Morning Pops!” I look at him. “Art fair show thingy. You should come by, it’s downtown.” 

 

“Will do, captain!” Pops says with a big grin. “I’ll bring lil Phe too!”

 

I salute to him. “Got it Pops! Seeya then!”

 

He waves and enters the house and I set all my supplies into my car before entering the vehicle myself. It purrs to life and I grip the steering wheel affectionately before pulling out of the driveway and down the street.

 

I swerve over into a parking spot of Sarah’s coffee shop. I enter the store, a bit out of breath. The blonde woman behind the counter perks up, smiling brightly. “Kat!”

 

“Heya!” I walk to the counter, there being no line. “It’s been a while.”

 

She immediately smacks me. “You scared me! And Tabby!” She frowns.

 

I wince and cup my cheek. “Sorry sorry. Is Tabby here?” She nods. “Can you bring her over here Sarah? Pretty pleaseee?”

 

Sarah rolls her eyes and calls Tabby over. Who comes up, looks at me, and also smacks me. “Okay! Okay! Chill!” I say with a laugh, now cupping both cheeks. “I deserved that but chill.”

 

Tabby pouts. “You ass! You need to come talk with us more!”

 

“I’ve been busyyy!”

 

“With what?” Sarah puts her hands on her hips. “Don-”

 

“I have a boyfriend apparently.” I say, my cheeks heating up as I say it outloud.

 

“OH MY GOD!” They both shout at the same time. “REALLY?”

 

“Y-Yeah. T-that blind da-date went reeeeeally well.” I say with a smile.

 

“You have to let us meet him!” Sarah says excitedly.

 

“Wait, wait, wait. You guys met like two weeks ago. How long has your relationship been?” Tabby asks.

 

“I’m gonna get smacked again…” I mutter. “Uh. Those two weeks. Kinda.” I say softy.

 

They both raise their hands and I scoot away. “Stoppp!” I say playfully, with humor on my voice. “He’ll get concerned and potentially angry if he sees that my cheeks are red because of smacks.” I smile at them.

 

“Shit.” Tabby swears. “So this isn’t a joke.”

 

I bite my lip. “I don’t think so.”

 

Sarah’s smile turns warm. “Oh god, I’m so happy for you Kat.” She says happily and Tabby nods.

 

“Well, I’m here for some coffee and food, if I’m allowed to get that.” Sarah makes a face at me and I grin. “Just the usual.”

 

Tabby nods and goes to the back to make my bagel and my iced coffee. I pay Sarah and she looks at me, taking it. “Kat.” She says softly as I turn to leave. “Do you love him?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Does he love you?”

 

“Yeah…” My smile turns soft. “I really believe he does.”

 

Sarah looks at me and smiles warmly. “Good. Cause I would have to kill him if he didn’t.”

 

I laugh as Tabby calls me over to pick up my food. “Is he hot?” Tabby asks, wiggling her eyebrows.

 

“Very.” I grin.

 

“Have you two…”

 

“Sadly, no.” I lean in closer. “But tomorrow.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her and wink.

 

She grins and waves me off. “We’ll come over for the art thingy later!” She calls after me as I leave.

 

I send her a thumbs up before going back to my car. I set me coffee to the side along with the bagel before driving to downtown. I park, lug my stuff over to my stand, then set up. It doesn’t take me too long, just hanging a few things up and setting a few things out.

 

Once I’m done with that I eat my bagel and drink my coffee once the bagel is done. The originals I planned to show Oda are off to the side behind the stand, so nobody takes them, even if he doesn’t end up showing up.

 

It takes a few minutes before people start to trickle into the area, most of them going from the front to the end. I’m near the very back with a few other artists, and we never see that much business because everyone has spent a lot of money near the front, but everyone back here has online shops, which is why we’re at the end, cause we get money other ways.

 

The artist beside me, adult male, black hair, green eyes, longer face, a bit of stubble on his chin, looks at me with a grin. “You’re looking rather hot today. What changed?”

 

I look over at him. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

 

“I mean you look hotter than normal. Did you lose some weight? Boobs get bigger?” He licks his lips.

 

“No, but I did get a boyfriend.” I say coldly.

 

“Mm~ I bet he can’t-”

 

“He makes me happy, he’s fucking gorgeous, he’s one of the best things that has happened in my life, and he’s not a fucking sleazeball like you.” I cut him off with a cold glare. “So how about you fuck off.” My voice could probably kill if it was able to.

 

“Bitch.” He says with a frown.

 

“Oh, so I’m a bitch now, that I turned you down?” My eyebrow quirks. “How typical.”

 

He shoots me a glare and looks ready to say something else but someone walks up to my booth and I turn to them a friendly smile on my face. “Hello!”

 

It’s a young girl who looks mildly uncomfortable, and shy. “H-Hi… M-My frie-friends to-told me th-that y-y-y-you se-sell co-coloring b-b-books..?”

 

“Yes, I do. I normally only sell them online, but” I lean down and pull a coloring book out from underneath my stand, “for you” I pull out a pen and sign the cover, sliding it over, “I’ll make an exception because you asked nicely.”

 

She smiles and it’s a very nice smile. “H-How much?”

 

“How much are you willing to pay?”

 

“I-I have te-ten…” She says.

 

“Perfect!” I usually sell them for $30, and $32ish for a signed copy, but whatever.

 

She hands over the money and I store it in my box. She holds the book to her chest and thanks me profusely before scampering away to be with her friends who seem like very accepting individuals. One of them comes up and smiles at me. “Thank you…” They say softly before following the rest of the group.

 

A warm smile comes across my face as I sip the coffee. 

 

The day goes by slowly until I spot a familiar head in the crowd near the front. It’s Oda. I’m guessing Jin’s there too, but I can’t spot him over the many heads. But Oda towers over everyone so like… he’s easy to spot. He seems almost like a kid in a candystore as he looks at all the different stalls. I laugh a bit before leaning back.

 

I hear a shout and I poke my head from my stall again, spotting Pops who has Phedra on his shoulder and is sprinting over to me, yelling: “MAKE WAY! I MUST SEE MY WONDERFUL DAUGHTER!” My cheeks heat up and he skids to a stop in front of me.

 

Phedra giggles wildly as she clutches Pop’s head. “WE ARE HERE BEBE!”

 

I laugh and smile warmly at the two of them. “Heya you two.” I rest my hand on my chin. “You know, you should probably check out the other stalls and then come back to me.”

 

Phedra pats Pop’s head. “Dummy! I said that too!”

 

Pops pouts like a kid. “Buuuuuuttttttt!”

 

“Pops, come on.” I laugh and lean down pulling out about thirty bucks and handing it to Phedra. “Take the kiddo and go to the front. There’s a buncha stickers there. I think Phedra would enjoy them.”

 

Pops pouts before turning and sprinting back to the front. I hear Phedra screaming in excitement and then hear her say, “OH HI JI-JI! AND VERY TALL MAN JI-JI IS WITH!”

 

Kay, he is here. Rad.

 

The next people to come up to my booth are actually Tabby and Sarah. I can actually see Jin, but he seems to be occupied with making sure his old man doesn’t talk people into a stupor. He shoots me a look over so often that I swear he’s asking me to help him but I don’t know how.

 

Anyways, I turn my attention to my two friends. Sarah peruses over my wares as Tabby looks over at a few other booths then turns to me. “Damn, that white-haired guy is really hot.”

 

“Yep.” I say simply.

 

“Hey, don’t say that,” Tabby says, eyeing me, “you have a boyfriend. Don’t say others are hot.”

 

“Eh, he calls people hot too. We’re both loyal to each other.” My smile widens.

 

Tabby makes a face at me. Sarah looks over and smiles. “Is your boyfriend here by the way?”

 

“Yep.”

 

“Are you going to point him out?”

 

“Stay here for a bit, he’ll be here inna bit.” I say with a warm smile.

 

As I say that Jin manages to pull his old man over, and the two girls move a bit so they have room. “Hello.” I say softly. 

 

Jin smiles at me and goes to say something but Tabby beats him to the punch. “Hey, buddy.” Jin turns his attention to her, quirking an eyebrow. “My friend,” she gestures at me, “thinks you hot.”

 

“Well, I would hope so.” Jin says. “I’m very hot.”

 

“She has a boyfriend too.” Tabby crosses her arms

 

“I know that.” Jin grins.

 

She turns her gaze to me. “This guy knew before you told your two closest friends?”

 

“Yeah.” I say with a smile before looking over at Jin. “Your old man is talking up the person next to us, you may want to stop him.”

 

Jin curses under his breath before turning to Oda and grabbing him, starting to scold him in Japanese, and it seems like it’s the the first time cause Oda is just grinning and nodding. I look over at Tabby. “Did you put two and two together yet?”

 

She furrows her eyebrows. “No..?”

 

I sigh before standing up and tapping Jin on the shoulder. He stops scolding Oda and turns to me. “Wha-”

 

I lean forward and press a soft kiss to his lips before moving back, patting his cheek a bit then sitting down. I turn back to Tabby. “Now do you understand?”

 

“YOU LITTLE-!” Tabby starts, glaring at me.

 

“I’m taller than you.” I wink.

 

Sarah looks between Jin and me. “I ship it.” She says with a nod before handing me thirty bucks. “Can I have the top left print?”

 

I nod and pull one down before handing it to her. “There you go.”

 

She takes it, and by that time Oda is looking over my stock, Jin standing a bit to the side. Sarah walks over to him. “Hey, I’m Sarah, one of Kat’s best friends. Nice to meet you.” She extends an arm.

 

Jin shakes her hand and grins. “I didn’t realize Kat had such cute friends.” He winks.

 

Sarah looks at him unfazed. “Say that again and I’ll smack you across the face.” She smiles. “The other one is Tabby, Kat’s other bestie.”

 

Tabby has started looking over at another stands stuff and Sarah laughs a bit before nodding to Jin and walking over to Tabby.

 

I watch her leave before my attention return to Oda. “Oh!” I say before ducking under the stall and pulling out the original pieces that I wanted to show him specifically, laying them out. “Here. I wanted to show you these in particular because they’re my favorites.”

 

Three out of the five are zentangles, one being made up mostly of flowers, the second one geometric shapes, and the last one made up of just pure randomness; there’s a large painting of a field of flowers that were all different shades of pink, I’m not sure how much he’ll like that one but I’m proud of it; and the last one a picture of two people sitting on a rooftop watching the sunset. 

 

He looks at the art and smiles. “BEAUTIFUL!” His eye goes to the next piece. “MAGNIFICENT!” Then the next. “GORGEOUS!” The next. “SENSATIONAL!” The last. “STUNNING!” His eye returns to me and my red face. “How much do they cost?”

 

“Uh… I mean, whatever you wanna pay for them. My limit on how low for originals is about $25 bucks.” I say.

 

He blinks, maybe winks, he only has one eye. “What about $200?”

 

“For the set?” I quirk an eyebrow, doing the math in my head, about $40 bucks each, good deal.

 

“Each.”

 

I blink in a stunned silence. “U-U-uh… I… uh… It’s not worth that much, Mr. Oda.” My cheeks heat up a bit. “At most I ask for $50 for each original. Will only be $250 for all of them.”

 

He eyes me for a minute before nodding. “Okay!”

 

I didn’t expect him to agree so quickly. He hands the the cash and I put it into the money box before turning to grab a bag for him. I put the pieces in the bag before handing it to him. “Thank you for the purchase.” I say with a warm smile. “If you’re looking for some really cool stuff, the lady at the booth a few stalls down sells really beautiful artworks.”

 

Oda nods and walks over there, his arms full of bags. I turn back to Jin and smile at him. “Hey.” I say.

 

“Hey.” He replies. “You doing okay?”

 

“Tired, but good.” I smile gently and sit down, letting out a small groan. “Having fun?”

 

He lets out a hum of confirmation, his eyes watching the old man. “He’s been a hassle.”

 

I laugh. “I don't doubt it.” I blink before leaning down and grabbing a small bag. “Hey,” I hold up the bag, “I got this thing of chocolate from someone that handed them out. I already pulled out all the dark chocolate but I don’t like milk chocolate all that much. You want the rest of it?”

 

Jin looks back over to me and takes the bag. “Sure.” He says with a smile.

 

“Hey, what’s your favorite color?” I look at him.

 

He looks up from the bag of chocolate. “Red.” He says.

 

I tilt my head to the side. “Red? Why red, if you don’t mind me asking.”

 

Jin smiles warmly. “It’s the color of your hair.”

 

My cheeks flush to a light pink. “Got it.” I say with a smile.

 

“What’s yours?” He asks casually.

 

“Just about every color you can imagine. My favorite fluctuates a lot but at the moment is dark blue.”

 

“Copy cat.” Jin says with a grin.

 

“Hey,” I puff out my cheeks, “if you had asked me first the answer would still be the same.”

 

He just grins at me as Pops and Phedra come up. “Ji-Ji!” Phedra says, holding a bunch of stickers. “Hi!”

 

“Hey princess.” Jin says with a smile.

 

Pops sets the kid down and she scampers over to me, handing me my change. I take it and put it in my purse again before smiling at her. “Have fun, pumpkin?”

 

“Yep!” She says happily and walks over to Jin and Pops again.

 

Oda comes back after a minute, arms full of more bags. By then Phedra is in Jin’s arms playing with his hair a bit. I look over at Oda with a smile, my Pops talking with Jin. Oda looks at me then the others. “Well hello there!” He says happily.

 

Pops turns and looks at me. “Do you know anyone by the name of ‘There’ here?”

 

I slap my face with a hand. “Father, please.”

 

“Kat, I am being serious.” Pops says.

 

“Hello, being serious.” Oda interjects, making my dad look at him. “I’m Oda.”

 

Pops laughs. “Good one, but there’s no need to be cheesey.”

 

“Now that one was rather breadful.” Oda says, tsking.

 

“You butter bee-leaf it.” Pops sends Oda a wink.

 

“So you cayenne’t think of any oregano puns?”

 

“I don’t have enough thyme to think of gouda ones.” 

 

My eye twitches.

 

“Lettuce stop before Kat turns this situation into a Katastrophe.” Oda grins.

 

“She’ll surely will blow you away.” Pops grins.

 

I press my lips into a hard line and point to the entrance of the shopping area. “Get out.”

 

Pops looks hurt. “But I am your father!”

 

“I thought you were being serious.” I say drily. “Why must you constantly change names?”

 

Pops stares at me. “I AM SO PROUD!”

 

I stare at him blankly. “Look, sir. I don’t know what your name is anymore. Please leave and return when you have figured it out. Thanks.”

 

Pops grins. “I’ll meet you by the car. Going to get some food after this.” He waves and walks out.

 

Phedra stops playing with Jin’s hair and looks over her shoulder at Oda. She shies away, hiding her face against Jin’s shoulder. “Ji-Ji… who’s that..?”

 

“That’s my old man.” Jin says.

 

I get up and walk over to Jin and Phedra, looking at her and smiling. “He’s really nice.” I tell her softly.

 

“Bebe… Hold me…” She says, reaching for me.

 

I take her and she hugs me tightly, before looking at Oda. “H-Hi…” She says softly.

 

He smiles brightly. "Hello little one. I assume you have some matter of relationship with the beautiful and talented red-haired lady holding you?"

 

Phedra smile brightens. “She’s my Bebe!”

 

“Big sis.” I supply.

 

“And Bebe is really talented! And pretty! And she’s the greatest!” Her smiles brightens even more. “Even though she doesn’t think she is!”

 

With each word he nods solemnly. "You seem like I a wise person. I shall follow your word."

 

She grins brightly. “Yay! I am royalty! So you should! And Imma officiate their wedding!” She points to me then Jin. “Ji-Ji said so!”

 

"Well then, I shall make sure you wear the prettiest dress when time arrives. Which colour would your highness prefer?" Oda grins.

 

“Pink!” She says with a bright smile.

 

"Pink it is! It shall be the pinkiest pink! So pink that it will be an offense to God himself!"

 

Phedra giggles. “Yay! But… I dun wanna take the spotlight away from Bebe…” She looks down a bit.

 

"Then, I shall make an even greater dress for her! My dear, do you have anything against flames?"

 

“Y-Y-You do-don’t need to do that!” I say.

 

“Flames wouldn’t be good, Mister! Bebe is scared of fire.” Phedra thinks for a minute. “Though… the probably wouldn’t be real flames, so not real flames are okay!”

 

Oda pouts. "But that's no fuuuuuuun..." He sighs. "Fine. No fire. But you ought to tell me this changes in advance, Kat-chan. Otherwise, I won't have time to make everything as magnificent, extravagant and offensive to God himself as it should be!"

 

I stare at him. “Y-You do-don’t nee-need to…” My voice is soft, starting to get very overwhelmed.

 

Phedra smiles brightly. “I’ll help you, Mister!”

 

"It is decided then! We shall work together in hopes of extravagance and offense to God!" Oda smiles brightly at the girl.

 

I look over at Jin and mouth: ‘Help’ to him. He’s just standing a safe distance away, arms crossed, and smiling. He shrugs at me. Phedra squeals and claps her hands. “YAY!”

 

Oda looks like he’s going to say something but I interject. “H-Heyy… u-uh…” both of them turn to me and I instantly feel pressure on myself. “P-Phe and I-I need t-to go m-mee up wi-with P-Pops to like… eat…” I trail off, looking down, extremely uncomfortable and very overwhelmed, about ready to cry because I feel like everyone is staring at me.

 

I set Phedra down, not trusting my grip on her, her standing by my legs. A set of arms wrap around me and I let out a little squeak, turning to look at who hugged me. A pair of lips meet mine gently before they pull away. “There’s my favorite red girl!” Jin says happily and I flush red.

 

“Oh jeez…” I say covering my face with my hands. “Oooh jeez.” Now I feel like there’s more people staring. “I go-gotta… p-pack up m-my stuff… A-And gettt outta he-here…” I let out a sigh. “Before I-I crryy…” My voice turns into a mumble at the last sentence.

 

Jin speaks with a smile. "Let me help you out. Don't blame me if I slip a kiss from time to time tho." And he winks.

 

I look at him and let out an amused sigh. “Fine fine…” I unwrap his arms from around me before walking back to my stand, backing away my stuff. 

 

I hear Phedra and Oda talking a bit but they kinda become white noise as my focus remains on my task of putting everything away. I rub my eye and feel a pool of wetness there, and I quickly press the palms of my hands into my eyes to keep the tears in. “Jesus…” I mutter. “Calm the fuck down Kat…” My voice is very soft.

 

"Hey, Kat." I turn around to see Jin with the most adorable smile on his face, and, held with both hands, a small rabbit made out of paper. "You know what this is?" Before I can answer, his smile widens. "It's a ra-Jin-t."

 

I look at him for a few second before a wide smile pulls at my lips and I start to laugh, it passes quickly and then I look at Jin again and I can’t suppress the laughter again. I end up falling on my ass, and just laugh harder, covering my face with my hands and shaking my head. “J-Jin…” My laughter continues. “T-That w-w-was go-gold. Th-thank you.” I move my hands from my face and look up at him, with a love-filled smile and pure adoration in my eyes beside the mirth.

 

He stares at me for a moment before setting the rabbit down and offering me a hand. I take it, still giggling, and he pulls me up. When I manage to stand upright Jin pulls me closer and presses a sweet kiss to my lips pulling away after a moment. “There’s my beautiful girlfriend.” His voice is soft.

 

My cheeks turn red and I shake my head a bit. He lets me go, reluctant, and we finish putting things away. He takes the suitcase thing away from me and I shoot him a look. Jin gestures to Phedra and I nod before scooping up the kiddo. She squeals and I rest her on my shoulders. Oda follows us as we walk out, and I spot Pops standing next to my car, his car parked next to mine, and talking with Sarah and Tabby. Phedra goes to Pops and I take my suitcase from Jin, giving him a short kiss as a thank you, before putting the thing into the backseat.

 

When I shut the backseat door, I turn and look at the group of people around me. “Well,” Pops starts, “uh. I have brought you here today…”

 

“Pops.” I say my voice a warning.

 

“To denounce the evils of truth and love.” Pops finishes.

 

“TO EXTEND OUR REACH TO THE STARS ABOVE!” Phedra shouts.

 

“Jessie!” Pops says.

 

“James.” Phedra giggles.

 

“Team Rocket blasting off at the speed of light.” Pops waves an arm.

 

“Surrender now or prepare to fight!” Phedra’s smile is so bright.

 

“Meowth! That’s right!” Sarah finishes.

 

I inhale and then exhale before turning around and entering my car, shutting the door, starting the car. I roll down the window and look out at Sarah and Tabby. “Meet me at the mall.” I say before turning my gaze to Pops and Phe. “You two stop watching Pokemon so damn much.” My gaze flicks to Oda. “Uh… Don’t get into trouble, old man.” Finally my gaze lands on Jin who is closest to me. I gently tug on his arm and he bends down to look at me at eye level. “Keep being fucking hot. I love you.”

 

He grins. “That’s easy.” He leans forward and kisses my forehead. “And I love you too, Sap.”

 

“Takes one to know one.” I say with a grin.

 

Jin chuckles and I reach over, rubbing his cheek with a thumb, and he leans into the touch a bit. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

 

“Yeah.” He says.

 

“I’ll pick you up and text you the time tomorrow, my prince.” A warm smile plays along my lips and I give him a soft kiss before pulling away.

 

He chuckles and straightens before moving away from my car. I wave at everyone before rolling up my window and driving home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments, kiddos, blahblahblah...
> 
> I shall make an epilogue for the next chapter, I swear!~Faggot


	14. This was Supposed to End in Sex... It Ended in Depress

After I get home and drop off my stuff, I go back to my car and drive to the mall. It takes until I’m walking to the checkout of the first store to realize that there is a large wad of cash in my purse just sitting there. I pull it out and count it, blinking a couple of times at the amount of $750. Which is probably from Oda…

 _What a family of sneaky assholes._ I think, remembering the note Jin had stuck in my cleavage without me noticing the first time we met. _I still feel violated from that._

I let out a huff and then smile a bit, realizing this’ll cover a lot of the costs I was scared about which means I won’t be needing to dip so much into my savings. Still will need some but not as much as I was thinking the first time.

Anyways, the lady puts my stuff in the bag and I hand her the cash, Sarah and Tabby having gone to the food court after helping me pick the dress out. 

I walk out to the food court, plopping down next to the two of them. “Blehhh. Why am I doing this again..?”

Sarah looks at me with a grin. “Cause you loooove him.”

My lips are pressed into a straight line. “Yeah yeah.”

Tabby leans closer to Sarah and wiggles her eyebrows. “We should get her some lingerie.” Her voice is loud enough for just the three of us to hear.

“O-Oi!” I shout.

“Yeah, probably. She probably doesn’t have anything cute.” Sarah ignores me.

Tabby nods. “Will that be our next stop?”

“Yep.” Sarah finishes her food and gets up along with Tabby. “Come on Kat.”

I huff and stand up with a grunt before following behind them.

God, I hate my friends so much.

In the course of an hour they still hadn’t found anything we could all agree on. Seeing as they were trying to find bras that didn’t really offer any support. We finally found something and they settled on it. Still too lacy for my tastes but whatever.

They end up buying it and a matching set of panties to go with it. Just in case.

_I still highly doubt that’ll happen._

They then pull me to a jewelry store and pick out a pair of earrings that I apparently needed, some new bracelets that I also apparently needed, and a necklace. “I don’t this is all necessary.” I say to them as we’re waiting in line.

“Well, what did he tell you?” Sarah looks at me.

I purse my lips. “To get as pretty as I could, take him to the nicest place I could, and treat him like a prince.” I eye Sarah.

Sarah grins. “Should you be getting him stuff?”

“Yeah, I got that planned. As stupid as it is, I researched the color or roses and their meanings… anndd. Gonna get a bouquet of red, pink, and lavender colored roses. And a bottle of champagne… Not to drink cause the last time I had alcohol. Ugh.” I shake my head a bit.

“What happened?” They both say at the same time.

“Let’s not get into that.” Neither of them know about the scars either. “Let’s just say I had an emotional breakdown.”

“Who was there?” Tabby asks softly, as we get closer to the front.

“Jin.” I say with a sigh. “God that wasn’t fun.”

They both look at each other then at me. “He stayed?” Sarah asks.

“Yeah… Obviously.”

“Damn, Kat. H-” We get to the front before Tabby can finish the sentence.

I pay for the jewelry and frown a bit. We walk out and I hand the bag to Sarah. “I actually… Don’t need this…” I look at the dress again and nod to myself. “I think I need…” I think for a moment before walking over to a nearby store.

I hear two people chasing after me, as I enter the store.

~

We exit the mall after about another hour perhaps. My arms are kind of full of bags, but there are a few things I needed just the idea I have. I put everything in my car before hugging the two girls tightly. “Thank you! I’ll bring some cookies over later for you two.”

They both nod and Tabby looks at me. “You found yourself a keeper. I hope he doesn’t fuck it up.”

“Pfft. I’ll fuck it up. I could potentially from this date.” I shake my head.

“I think he’ll love it. It’s not what he would expect.” Tabby says quietly with a smile, knowing what was happening due to me telling them.

I laugh a bit. “Got it. But I need to get other things before tomorrow, so scooch!”

She laughs and walks over to Sarah’s car and I get into my own. We wave at each other before driving our separate ways.

I get to the next store, pick up what I need, and leave. Then I get home and lug everything inside.

Everything goes in its spot and I smile proudly at myself. “Alright. Time to get everything else.”

I stop by the vase of roses that is sitting on my table. With a warm smile, I add a bit more water then walk out to the living room. Logan is in there, playing a videogame.

“Hey, can you help me out tonight?” I ask him.

“Why?”

“Cause I’m cute.”

He eyes me and then sighs. “What do you need?”

“Can you clean up the kitchen? Its going to get all messy again tomorrow but I’ll clean it up. I would now, but I have to do a few things.”

“Fineeeeee.” Logan says. “You owe me.”

“I’m making cookies.”

“I get 10.”

“Got it. Thanks dysfunctional condom!” I smile brightly.

He gets up and pats my head. “You’re welcome, disappointing second.”

I watch as he goes into the kitchen. With a smile I go upstairs and into my room, opening up my laptop and searching a few things.

~

The next day comes and I wake up refreshed. It’s about noon when I wake up, which leaves me about 8 hours to get everything prepared.

I nod to myself before going downstairs and going to the kitchen, tying my hair up and starting to cook.

Most of it goes into the fridge, and I leave Logan to manage the cookies, having to take a shower seeing as 4 hours have passed. Before I hope into the shower, I shoot Jin a message telling him to be ready at 8.

After I get out of the shower, I go back downstairs and put the finished cookies into three different containers. One for Sarah and Tabby, one for Jin and myself, the last container for home. “Don’t eat all the cookies, Logan.” I say, eyeing him.

He grins and I sigh before walking up to my room, sitting down at my desk and scrolling through Tumblr to pass time. 

It’s about six thirty before I start to get ready. The first thing I do is grab everything I plan on wearing and bring it to the bathroom. Next thing I do is start to blow dry the last few wet spots. Then I pull on my dress, along with some tights, humming to myself.

My pops pokes his head in with Phedra and looks at me. “Need any help?”

“Actually, if you want to do my hair that’d be fantastic.” I smile at him.

Pop’s face brightens and he comes into the bathroom, having me sit down in a chair he seemingly produced out of nowhere, and setting Phedra in my lap. Little known fact, he loves to style hair. He pulls out a curling wand and starts working.

It doesn’t take too long for him to finish and I set Phedra down, standing up. Phedra looks at me in awe. “You’re so pretty Bebe!”

I smile at the kiddo and look at myself in the mirror. My hair is curled, framing my face nicely with two sections on either side of my head braided back and pinned to the back of my head. I smile as my gaze floats down to my dress.

It’s nothing extraordinary, a simple but beautiful dress that reaches to my knees. It’s a deep red as the base color with a pattern of white vines coming up from the bottom. The sleeves are a sheer red, them reaching down to my wrists, with the same vine design trailing up the arms. Around my neck is the silver necklace that Jin had made for me, and I put on a silver bracelet to go with it. There’s also white lacy tights that looked good with the outfit along with a pair of black flats, because there wasn’t anything else.

“I look a bit like a candy cane. Jeez.” I say with a laugh.

“No! You look really pretty!” Phedra says.

I smile at her. “Mmm.” I look over to my dad who is holding a box of makeup. “Noo. We both know I’ll just ruin it during the night.” 

Pops pouts. “At least lipstick?”

I shake my head. “Nope.” I smile at him before kissing his cheek. “Thank you though.”

“My pleasure!” Pops says before handing me a small white purse. “I put something in there.” He winks. “For protection.”

My cheeks turn a bit red and I smack him upside the head before walking out of the bathroom. I can hear him laughing and Phedra asking him what he meant.

A quick walk downstairs shows me Logan had a friend over. They both look at me as I walk in front if the TV with a basket in hand, that I grabbed from my room, to the kitchen. My brother whistles. “Dammmnnn.”

I shoot him a glare before setting the basket down and filling it with the food I had prepared earlier. “Is that your sister?” I hear Logan’s friend ask him.

“Yep!” Logan says, and I feel like there’s pride in his voice.

“She’s hot as fuck.”

“And she’s taken.” I walk back into the room to see Logan smack his friend upside the head. “Dipshit.”

His friend rubs the back of his head and I walk to the front door, basket, champagne, and bouquet in my hands. “If I don’t come back later tonight, well.” I wiggle my eyebrows at Logan.

He grins. “GET SOME!”

I salute to him. “Got it Captain.”

With a giggles I open the door and shut it before walking to my car, setting the basket in the backseat next to the big blanket I hadn't bothered to take out of my car. With a grin I buckle myself in and drive to Jin’s house.

I pull into his driveway about two minutes before 8, so I take a deep breath in then out, picking up the champagne and bouquet, stepping out of the car.

With confident steps, I walk up to the door and knock. A smile comes across my lips without my control when Jin opens the door, wearing a white shirt, black pants, a long black suit jacket, a blue scarf, and black shoes. My smile widens and my cheeks warm with color. “Good evening, handsome.” I hand him the bouquet. “I got you these, even though they don’t come close to your beauty.” Then I hand him the champagne with a smaller smiles that’s an apology. “And this, for an apology of the other night.”

Jin smiles a bit and chuckles before escaping back into his home, probably to put the flowers in the vase and the alcohol in the fridge or whatever. He comes back after a moment and my smile comes back. “Shall we?” I ask, offering an arm.

He chuckles and takes it, shutting and locking his door behind him, and I walk us over to my car. He gets in, and I make sure he can’t see what’s in the backseat as I drive off into the night. It doesn’t take long for me to get to the destination, and I pull into a parking spot, exiting the vehicle.

Jin seems a bit surprised that we’re at a park of all places, and I pull the picnic basket and the blanket from the back before extending a hand to him. He takes it and I walk him to a nice secluded area, setting down the blanket. “The next gift, is something I couldn’t actually buy, and it still won’t come close to your beauty but it's the closest thing I could find that would still be something special. So,” I look at him with a warm smile and hold a arm up to the sky, “the stars and the sky are my gift to you.”

He blushes a bit and looks down, scratching his cheek with his free hand. “Geez…” His voice is embarrassed. “No need for such a stellar gift…”

A grin forms on my lips and I look at him. “Well, you are out of this world. So I figured it’d be an appropriate gift.” I shoot him a wink.

"Hey, leave the flirting and sappy shit to me!” He looks up at me. “You're the blushing and cute one. Let's not exchange roles."

My eyebrow quirks up. “I wasn’t trying to flirt. Just speaking the truth, was all.”

"See? Back to being cute. That's my Kat." He grins.

I raise his hand, still held in my own, to my mouth and kiss the back of it with a flirtatious wink. “I’m all yours, and only yours.”

"Ditto.” My smile widens and a bit of color comes to my cheeks. “Now, what do you have in store exactly?"

I straighten and smile at him. “It’s kinda boring, maybe not what you were thinking, but I made us a picnic thing. Got a blanket and made some food.” My smile falls a bit. “I just figured it’d be nice to stare at the stars. And not be confined to some fancy restaurant. It’s more private and personal here. Seems like a better option for a date.” I look over at him. “So all my attention can be on you for the night.”

He puts an arm around my waist and flashes me a smile. "Couldn't have chosen anything better."

A bright smile comes across my lips. “Great! Are you hungry?”

His smile changes to smug. "For kisses? Always.~"

I reach up and cup his cheeks before kissing him on the lips softly, pulling away after a few seconds. “I meant food, but if all you want is kisses, I can do that too.”

"Rather have both." Jin says.

With a warm smile I press another kiss to his lips before pulling away completely, patting his cheeks gently. I take a step away from him and grab the blanket, unfurling it and laying it out. I sit down elegantly and pat the spot next to me. Jin takes a seat and I start to pull out all the food I had prepared. It was probably way too much for two people but I figured I should have options. 

We both grab different things and begin to eat. “How have you been today, sweetie?” I look over at Jin, taking a bite of salad, being careful not to get any on my dress.

"Pretty fine. Kinda worried about the growing ranks of the old man tho." He frowns a bit.

I quirk an eyebrow. “Do you want to talk about it? I may not be able to do anything, not likely I will, but I’ll listen.”

"Oh, it's nothing serious." He sighs. "Just that the old man has a strict policy of making anyone he likes work for him, and... Well, you've seen what happens when he starts getting persuasive. I try to keep him in check, but he's gotten around fifty new employees since he got here." He runs a hand through his hair.

A smile smile comes across my face and I lay my head against his shoulder with a small laugh. “Sounds rough.”

"Could be worse. My aunt and uncle generally take care of these things, but they're kinda busy right now." He shakes his head. "Ah, forget about it. This whole family business is pretty boring stuff."

I nod a bit before blinking. “Oh.” I say before sitting up and reaching into the basket again. “Phedra said,” I pull out a fake crown from the basket and lean back, “you’re a prince and so you need to look the part.” I reach up and settle the crown on his head with a bright smile. “Be careful not to lose it or you lose your royal status.” I shoot him a wink.

He bursts into giggles. When he manages to breath again, he shoots me a look. "So, are you trying to hook up some royal privileges?"

A hand goes to my chest. “Oh no. I have been caught!” I say in mock terror. “Oh whatever will I do?”

"You can try to convince me to marry you, securing said privileges." He winks at me.

“And what, my good prince, could I ever do to convince you to marry me?” A fake pout forms on my lips. “I have nothing to give to you. No skills.” My voice is serious with a very obvious playful tone underneath it.

"How about..." He looks deep into my eyes. "Your everything."

My cheeks flush a bit. “You already have that.”

"Then, why not ask?"

My cheeks heat up more. “U-Uh… I don’t have a ring to give you.” My voice is soft and I start to bite my bottom lip, silently questioning if he’s still playing around or not.

He looks at me for a bit, with a serious expression. The hand on my chest closes into a fist as I stare back into his eyes. Then he lets out a short laugh and smiles. "I'm just kidding." He lays down. "Things like marriage are things of experimented couples in my opinion. Not that it matters anyway."

I let out a shuddering breath, the hand on my chest relaxing out of a fist. “Jeez…” I let out a nervous laugh. “Way too fucking early to even think about that.” I look over at him with a small smile. “Though I do find it humorous that a lot of people, their only goal in life is to get married. That seems like too much commitment to someone you could inevitably end up hating.” I shake my head a bit and rest my hands on my lap. “Plus it’s like something where you have to prove that you love someone to the rest of the world. It’s a document and you end up wasting so much money on things you’ll never be able to wear again. Or use again.” I shrug a bit and smooth down my dress. “Just seems like a lot of hassle for a little document.” My cheeks heat up a bit. “S-Sorry. I went off on a bit of a tangent.”

"It's alright. You always look cute during your little speeches." He closes his eyes, relaxed. "Plus, you're right. A wedding is a hassle. And it's just a paper. I don't need a paper to know who I love. This may sound a bit anti-status-quo, but I don't consider marriage something important."

I nod a bit, cheeks a bit red. With a small smile I set the rest if the food aside except for a box of cookies. A soft grunt escapes me as I scoot over and sit next to Jin, opening the box and eating a cookie, staring up at the sky. “I don’t either. Only reason I would do it is to appease my little sister. She wants to see me get married to someone who actually gives a shit.” I set a cookie on Jin’s chest. “I agree with the fact that you don’t need a piece of paper to show you love someone. You just love them.”

"I take that as a declaration of love?~" He teases, before taking the cookie and giving it a bite.

I turn to look at him with a warm, soft smile. “I do love you. I’ve told you this many times, beautiful.” My eyes turn to the sky. “You can take it as a declaration of love if you so wish.”

"Don't mind if I do."

I shoot him a smile before leaning back, propping myself up with my hands as my eyes flirt across the sky. My hands hurt a bit so I end up laying down next to Jin, and he wraps an arm around me and pulls me snug against him as we lay there peacefully.

_This is so nice. I wish I could just. Stay here forever._

“Hey,” I look over at Jin, his eyes still on the stars, “wanna hear a little tale?” His hand gently rubs my arm.

I snuggle up closer to him and stare back at the stars. “I’d love to.” My voice is soft.

"This is something me and... Well, my family, made up one night." He stays a bit in silence before speaking again. "They say that, long ago, there was nothing more than stars in the world. The universe, wherever you looked, was a pristine light, with no darkness whatsoever. But, then... The stars started to die. One by one, the would get brighter and brighter... Until they finally exploded. One day, they universe had become an empty and dark place, barely a few stars remaining. Then, something special happened. The stardust that had been once the lights of the universe had spent ages floating in space. And, suddenly, the stardust started to come together. Eventually, the stardust created planets and moons and who knows what else. And, from those planets made of stardust, people started to appear. People made of stardust. And when they started dying, the stardust that formed them would take to space, and start forming new stars." He goes silent again. "We all have a star inside of us. And, without knowing it, some of us are actually the same star. That people, even after death, will keep on together, as part of a light that illuminates the universe."

I sit up and look at him, and his gaze flicks over at me. “That’s… beautiful…” I say. “That’s really beautiful.” 

"Yeah. We liked to make stories like that." He smiles a bit.

“Seems like…” I pause. “You had a very beautiful family, too…”

"Yeah, I did..." He seems sad.

My hand reaches down and gently rubs his cheek. “Sorry, that’s probably a touchy subject.”

"I'm willing to talk about it, if you want, but…” He stares at me for a minute before continuing. “You won't like it. Not one bit..."

With a small smile I lean down and press a kiss to his lips before leaning back up. “Why don’t we go back to your place before we have this discussion?” 

"Yeah. Probably a good idea." He gets up and offers me a hand.

I take it and he pulls me up. With quick work I gather up everything and take his hand in a reassuring grip. He weakly smiles at me and I smile back, with warmth. We walk back to my car and I set everything in the backseat and we both enter our respective drives.

The ride back is as silent as the ride there was, and I park in his driveway before getting out. He gets out as well, looking tired, and we walk up to his front door. Jin unlocks it and we enter his home, him leading me around the maze of books like always, and to the couch. It seems like he’s having a conversation with himself in his head as he settles down on the couch. I sit down on the floor in front of him, gently taking both of his hands in my own. “You don’t have to talk about it if it’s going to make you uncomfortable. I’m never going to push information out of you…” I squeeze his hands gently.

"I’d rather get this over with as soon as possible. Ask any question you have." He looks down.

I nod a bit and think. “Who was your father? As a person, as a father, that stuff.” My voice is soft.

He seems to think about it for a moment. "I don't know. As far as I have managed to find out, my mother got pregnant from a one night stand with a guy she never saw again. She had me on her own."

“Did you have a father figure growing up?” I figure his mother is a fond memory so I should ask about her last.

He frowns. "Calling that bastard that would be an insult to all fathers in the world." He inhaled. "No, I didn't have one. Oda would be the only thing I ever had like that."

“Would you like to talk about ‘that bastard’..?” Concern fills my eyes. “If not that’s fine.” I hurriedly add.

"I... It's probably best if I just mention him along with other questions."

 

I nod a bit and squeeze his hands gently. “I…” I look down, furrowing my eyebrows. “How did your mother die..?”

He stays silent for a bit. "He killed her." His voice is soft and cold. "All our parents. He killed them."

“‘All of our parents’...? There were others..?” I paise for a minute before my head jerks up at him. “Wait… the orphan kids… that you mentioned… are they who you mean..? Their… p...?” I can’t continue the thought without wanting to cry so I stop before I do.

He nods. "Was the easiest way to get to us. Fake an accident, take the kids. Rest of the family is too heart-broken to really try to find a kid's bones on a pile of them." His expression remains the same, but behind his eyes one can see a storm roaring. "Bring people at gun point to a place. Shoot the parents. Take the kids. Set off explosives. Let them burn. Effective."

My chest tightens in anger and sadness. “Jesus fucking Christ.” I say. “I’m guessing…” My throat tightens in anger as well, and I let go of his hands to make sure I don’t accidentally hurt him. “He gave you… quite a few… of your scars…?” My hands clench into fists.

_I want to fucking kill this guy… But he’s probably already dead if Jin is here now. Still makes me pissed off beyond belief that someone could be this fucking disgusting._

"Remember the pipe" He signals to his face "and knife ones. Little way of telling me to shut the fuck up."

I look up at him, my lips pressed into a thin line and fists tightly clenched on top of my dress. “He’s dead, isn’t he?”

"Quite so."

“How… did he die…?” I let out a shaky breath, trying to make my fists relax.

His look hardens. "Like he always deserved and wanted. Alone and laughing."

I let out another breath and look down, chewing my lip. “What…” I take a deep breath. “Last question probably… What was your mother like..?”

"I have no idea."

I blink. “Did she die when you were really young?”

He nods. "I was barely three years old."

I bite my lip and my hands unclench from fists, gently resting over his. “Jin… I… I know words don’t help shit and this wasn’t my fault but god… I’m so fucking sorry. I… I’m so sorry…”

"Kat. I've had seven years to think about this. It's a life I left behind." His voice is soft.

I nod a bit and shut my eyes tightly. After about a minute of pushing back my tears I look up at him again, smiling warmly. “Thank you for telling me.”

He nods. "You deserve to know." He seems hesitant to speak for a minute. "If you want to know more, you can ask."

I shake my head a bit. “Maybe another time…” I take a deep, slow breath before exhaling just as slowly, trying to further push back my tears.

 _I can’t imagine… The pain…_ I shake my head a bit and gently rub the back of his hands.

Jin looks at me and we hold eye contact for a while. I stand up, my knees popping a bit, knowing that look. _He wants to be alone…_

I let out another shaky breath before smiling. “I’ll take my leave then.” I lean down a bit and gently kiss his cheek. “Don’t hurt yourself…” I say softly by his ear before straightening up.

He watches as I turn around, opening the door. I stop and look at him. “I’ll see you tomorrow..?”

“Yeah…” He says softly.

I nod and carefully shuts the door behind me, holding the door handle a bit too long. I manage to get into my car, drive home, and park before I break down into tears, arms resting over the steering wheel, head resting on top of my arms.

 _How… How could someone like that exist…? HOW?!_ Rage fills my system and I clench my fists before getting out of the car, slamming the door shut and pulling out the things I brought and going up to the front door. I open it, ignoring Logan and his friend, walking past Pops and Phedra who were hanging out on the second floor, going to my art room and shutting the door, locking it. I slide down the door, curl up into a ball, wrapping my arms around my legs, and rest my head on my knees. I fall asleep like that.

\-------------------------

He stays put on the sofa for minutes.

Then, he gets up and walks to the kitchen. Steps machine-like and calm.

He grabs a bottle of strong color from the fridge.

_And what do you think you are doing, kid?_

He eyes the bottle of whiskey. "I was thinking of drinking myself to unconsciousness."

 _That is probably not a good idea_.

Jin shrugs. "Maybe. Could also burn the house down." That didn’t sound half bad...

 _You are not thinking clearly, kid_.

"Oh?" He lets out a humorless laugh. "And here I was thinking that ruining a date that the most wonderful person in the world set up for you by talking about your shitty past and hurting her was perfectly normal. Phew. What a relief to know that I am not in my right mind." He feels him starting a new phrase, but doesn’t let him speak. Anger boils. He throws the bottle against the whole. As the glass breaks against the wall and liquid splatters, he starts shouting. "Do you think I ever fucking think normally?! I’M NOT NORMAL! THAT FUCKING IDIOT HAS FALLEN IN LOVE WITH SOMETHING ISN’T GONNA STOP HURTING HER! BECAUSE I AM NOT FUCKING NORMAL! I’M A FUCKING KILLER! A MURDERER! A MONSTER!" He clenches his fists. "And you know how I am so sure of that? Because... Every night, just before falling asleep... A thought crosses my mind... Not resurrecting the family I lost... Not finding my father... Not helping others who might be going through the same thing I did... Every night, I wish I could resurrect that fucking bastard from his grave... SO I COULD FUCKING KILL HIM AGAIN!" With the last word, he descends his fist upon the table. The impact sounds like a strong "crack" and the table falls, its middle part lying in pieces.

He breaths heavily. Fuck. FUCK FUCK FUCK!!! JUST- Just- He feels like crying. How long has it been since the last time he cried? Years?

He wipes his eyes with the back of his forearm and lets out a small laugh. "You fucking bastard... You are messing with my brain again, aren’t you?"

_You were really close to doing something stupid. I rather have you blow up and tranquilize. Feeling better?_

Jin makes a controlled fall and lands with his back against the sink. "Not really... Just more tired..."

The voice sighs. _A woman can heal all my wounds. There is truth in those words. However, any wound must hurt before healing. After the pain, the bliss that comes feels even greater_.

Jin makes himself a ball and sighs. "I’m tired of hurting... I want to heal already..."

_One day._

..........

...

Jin blinks a few times. He feels... Rested?

Wait, what time...?

_Six in the morning, I would say. Good day. You seem much better._

Jin rubs his head and grunts. "That was also your doing, wasn’t it?"

 _You seemed like you needed a rest._ Jin starts letting out a list of insults. In five languages. _Great vocabulary there... Listen, I have a proposal to make to you. After you clean the mess you created yesterday, that is._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Taba here. My dog just sat in my lap. Rad.
> 
> Uhhh. Yeah! Our babies are like very angsty. Angsty babies. It's okay. Everything is fine. (Everything is totally not fine but it'll maybe be fine.)
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Yada yada yada! ~Taba


	15. This Wasn't Going to End in Sex, BUT THAT'S WHERE IT ENDED!

I wake up to find myself in a parking car.

"Hello, sleeping beauty!"

My head turns to the side to find a smiling Jin, Wearing sunglasses and a long black coat. I blink. I blink again. Okay, this isn’t a dream. What the hell?! I look down. I am also wearing a long black coat. WHAT THE HELL?!

Jin gets out of the car and points towards the door of... This very luxurious hotel?! "Get in, loser. We have a date to have."

I squint at him groaning uncomfortably. “Ugggggghhhh. I feel like death…” I hold up my arms covering my eyes. “Uggh… the sun is too bright. Why are we here..?” I don’t hear a response and don’t wanna move my arms from my eyes. “Jiiiiiinnnn.” I whine.

The passenger's door opens and two arms scoop me up. I let out a happy noise, snuggling closer to him, still extremely sleepy due to the fact I didn’t sleep well and I was kinda rudely awakened. But it was by Jin so it’s never a rude awakening if Jin does it. _Maybe you love him too much..? NOPE!_

He grins and adjusts his hold on me to be able to grab something from the backseat and set it on me, locking the door to his car. He carries me into the building and into the elevator, where he sets me down on my own two feet. I hold the bag grumpily, and stand, squinting a bit at the bright lights.

Jin walks us to a room, leading me with a hand on my back. We get there and enter the room, which is basically just a big bed. 

_W-W-Wait… A-Are… I-Is. FUCKING WHAT?!_

At least now I’m awake.

Jin shuts the door behind him and pulls off the sunglasses. I watch him as he walks over to the bed and eyes me before pulling off his coat. I almost expect him to be in like a pair of boxers.

He’s in pajamas.

_I’M EVEN MORE CONFUSED! I…_

Jin lays down on the bed and eyes me. “You coming?”

“Huh..?”

He sits up with a smile. “Come on.” He says with a wink.

I blush and walk over to him. He points to a nearby bathroom. “Go change.”

With a small nod, I turn and walk into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I cast away the long coat to see I’m still in the same clothes I was yesterday. Luckily, nothing seemed to have gotten dirtied. Score.

I set about to changing, my pajamas consisting of a pair of shorter shorts and a tank top. I pull both on, forgoing the removal of my bra, even though that would make me more comfortable but then my tits would fall out of my shirt and I don't really want that. Maybe later.

I walk out of the bathroom, leaving everything else in the bag, and setting that down by the bathroom door. Jin watches as I walk over and flop face first onto the bed with a small groan. “Fuck me…” I mutter, scooting up a bit and laying my head down on a pillow.

“That can be arranged.~” Jin says with a grin, his face right next to mine.

I blink at him. “My first thought when we entered this room that’s practically just a bed was that we were gonna fuck. But then I didn’t know why it had ta be so-” A yawn cuts off my sentence. “Earlllyyyy.” I stretch my arms above my head letting out a groan, that sounds almost like a moan cause fuck my life.

Jin stares at me for a bit before chuckling. He reaches over and wraps an arm around my waist. “Mm. I was just thinking about doing nothing. Just relax.”

I let out a content sigh and cuddle closer to him so we’re pressed together, my head tucked under his chin. “Why’s that..? Not that I’m complaining.”

His hand runs up my back gently and pulls his hand through my hair, scratching my scalp gently. _Shit…_ I snuggle closer letting out a small noise of comfort almost like a purr. “I wanted to make up for yesterday.”

I blink and look up at him. “You don’t need to make up for last night.” I move my own hands and cup his cheeks. “Jin, sweetie, you don’t need to make up for last night, okay? Maybe it was an odd way to end a date, and maybe it wasn’t what I was expecting to happen, but I’m glad it did happen.” My thumbs rub against both of his cheeks. “Even if it hurt to hear it, it’s something that would’ve been brought up anyways, and it still would’ve hurt then.”

"Whatever. Just wanted to give you a relaxing day in an expensive place. Plan is to not do anything in the whole day by the way." Jin grins.

A warm smile tugs at my lips. “Absolutely nothing? Cause we’re doing something right now.” My smile turns into a grin. “We’re talking, breathing, lying down, cuddling, etc.” I giggle. “So you can't just do nothing. You’re always doing something.”

He laughs. "Getting tired of your bullshit, Kat. Am I gonna have to make do in the spanking promise?~"

“That spanking promise was if I didn’t manage to take you on the date as well as fail to give you a good night. Seeing as I took you on the date, I don’t need the spanking!” I smile brightly.

"Oh, but... You want It?~" He winks at me.

“I…” My cheeks warm. “I’m not denying or accepting that question as a fact.”

He laughs. "Well, let us focus on relaxing. For now, that is. Ask me politely later and we may reach an agreement." And he winks. Again. Fucker.

I let out a huff and roll so my back is towards him, crossing my arms in a pout. “In your dreams.”

I hear him laugh again. "My dreams? Or yours?"

My back cracks and a few muscles get tugged as I quickly turn and glare at him with a very slight wince at the pain. “Well I don't know your dreams. Most of mine consist of meaningless tasks that I end up doing the next day or conversations that I’ll have another day.” One of my arms reach back to rub my back. “Jesus. Kay. Note to self: Don’t move so fast.”

"You know, I could try to give you a massage." Jin says.

I quirk an eyebrow. “Try?” With a huff of amusement I shake my head. “Nevermind. I’m fine, you don’t need ta exert effort into trying to massage my back. It’s a day to relax, right?”

"Hey, you would make me a favour. I haven't ever practiced doing one." He shoots me an adorably embarrassed smile. "I, uh, have only read about it... But I can try! I think I can..."

My cheeks turn a bit pink at his fucking god damned adorableness. “I… O-Okay. Y-Yeah, sure. W-Whaaat do I need to do?”

"Lay down. Uh, roll your t-shirt up a bit. If you want! ... I'm... Pretty sure? That I can do it over it."

_Jesus fucking christ. Jin… You’re too precious._

I laugh a bit and pull off my shirt, tossing it to the side with a shrug before laying down on my stomach, pillowing my head on my hands. I look over at him with a warm smile. “Whatever you need, sweetheart.”

He chuckles and straddles over my thighs, and I let out a small sigh, laying on my arms. Jin seems a bit hesitant to start but he carefully rests his hands on my lower back, causing me to shiver a bit.

At first it hurts, not unbearably, but it doesn’t feel all that great. At all. My hands clench into fists and I nuzzle into my arms a bit. Then it suddenly switches to a very very relaxing feeling. I sigh contently as his hands work almost expertly on my lower back. It feels like he has been doing this for years.

_God it’s so fucking nice. I could fall asleep… mmm._

My eyes flutter shut as I relax almost completely, my breathing evening. God it’s almost magical how relaxed I’m getting right now. I haven’t ever felt this relaxed in a long time. 

With a last… whatever… Jin pulls his hands back and I let out a soft whine, my eyes opening as I look over at him as he settles down beside me again with a grin. “How was it?”

“Heavenly…” I say quietly. “I almost fell asleep.” I look over at him. “Thank you a lot… Christ. You sure that was your first time doing that?”

Jin laughs. “Yeah, it was.”

I smile warmly a bit before sitting up. I stretch, letting out a soft noise of happiness at the fact my back isn’t tense. I look over at my tank top that is not far away but too far for me to reach. I purse my lips for a second before tugging at the blanket and casually draping it over my shoulders to cover up most of my skin.

I can hear Jin laugh at that and then get up. I watch as he walks over to the TV I didn’t notice was there and then open the cabinet next to said TV. Inside is all the consoles and games you could ever want.

My face splits into a grin and I stand up, the blanket falling from my shoulders as I press against Jin’s back and prop my chin on his shoulder eyeing the games. “Thinking about playing something, babe?” He hums in agreement. “Why not…” I pull Mario Kart off the shelf. “This?”

Jin chuckles a bit. “Alright.”

He hands me a controller and I take it, kissing his cheek with a smile before walking back to the bed, pulling the blanket over my shoulders again as Jin sets everything up. He returns to my side and settles beside me. We load up the game, and I crack my knuckles, already knowing he’s going to get his ass beat. I am a fucking boss ass bitch at this game. Fucker.

He chooses the Mushroom Cup. Easy.

The four tracks go by quickly, me consistently getting first without trying all too much. Jin seemingly is horrible at this, this game for children, and get down at the bottom a lot, his highest place was fifth due to a stroke of luck I believe. I set the controller down, stretching a bit. I look over at Jin who is laughing softly, probably at himself. I pat his back a bit. “This is a kids game, babe. Shocker you’re so bad at it.” I say teasingly.

Jin makes a face at me. “There has to be one track you’re bad at.”

I grin cockily. “Try me, bitch. I’m the reigning champ at my house.”

He narrows his eyes at me before picking the next cup. We race, I win easily. This continues for each of the tracks until the special one.

Jin seems to think I’m going to do badly at it, seeing as rainbow road is hell. _Well, bitch. Guess who fucking has played rainbow road a buncha times and now can go through it without falling off once. Test me bitch._

We race, and I still win flawlessly. “See?” I look at him with a bright grin. “I told yo-”

He looks… mad is the best way to say it. His eyes look over at me, his mouth presses into a thin line.

“Oh babe.” I say softly, dropping the controller and going to reach over to him but not quite touching him. “Hey, I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to rub my skill in your face. I’m so-”

Jin’s ‘anger’ drops and he grins before leaning forward and kissing me to shut me up. He pulls away with a wink. “Don’t worry about it.”

My cheeks puff out. “Asshole.”

He just winks before getting up. “How about something else?”

I roll off the bed and stretch my arms above my head again, setting the controller down. Jin eyes the games thoughtfully and I cross my arms under my chest, watching him. “Got any ideas?”

Jin seems to think for a moment longer before pulling out Super Smash Bros. “Does this work?”

“You wanna get your ass kicked again?” I quirk an eyebrow.

“Only if I can spank you later.~” Jin looks at me with a grin and a wink.

My cheeks turn a bit red. “Fuck off.” I huff.

Jin’s grin widens and he tosses me a controller. I catch it, making a face at him and climbing back onto the bed. I settle down a bit before finally reaching over and picking up my shirt. I eye the green fabric a bit before setting it down in my lap to put one sometime later. Maybe. Probably not.

We boot up the game, and start the first match, him as Captain Falcon, myself as Pikachu.

We each have three lives and we nod at each other before returning our gazes to the game. The match starts.

And Jin loses.

Not as fast as I can beat my other friends but still quickly. And I lost a life to him as well.

Not my fault that Pikachu is OP is you know how to use him.

He’s an agile little shit.

Jin blinks a few times and looks at me. “Did that actually happen?”

“Mhmm.” I hum. “If it makes you feel any better, most of my friends don’t last that long. And you killed me once.” I nudge him with a big grin. “I’m proud of you.” Reach over I go to ruffle his hair but instead pat his shoulder a bit. “You’ll probably catch up with my ‘sneaky’” I use air quotes, “tactics soon enough.” I smile warmly at him before looking back at the game, grabbing the controller again. 

Jin chuckles a bit and returns his own gaze to the game. We play five more rounds, and I keep switching characters, not trying to show off but more to keep myself on my toes. Each time I win, but he seems to be getting to understand what I do. It’s nothing extravagant. I just tend to know when I should use certain moves to deal the most damage and get combos. But it’s almost always a pattern or when my opponent is in certain places. The combination of moves I use always fluctuates but the types of moves are always the same.

Jin seems a bit more confident, still butthurt about losing so many times. I purse my lips as I look at him before looking back at the screen. I shift a bit and crack my back, letting out a groan. The match starts. I’m Pikachu once again and he’s Captain Falcon again.

A smile plays along my lips as we fight. He gets the first kill on me and I smile wider. I knock him off twice and he does it to me once more. Then it’s the final showdown.

We’re both concentrated on the game, and I step it up a bit. Part of me wanting to give him the other part wanting him to do it by himself. He’d probably tell if I let him win.

Both of our characters are at very red percents and I’m about to knock him off when he lands a successful Falcon Punch on me and sends me flying off the map.

My face splits into a grin and I set down my controller, looking at him. “Shit, good job, sweetie! You did it!”

Jin turns to me and chuckles. “Of course I did.”

He seems to pause a moment at my proud grin before grinning himself. “Do I get a prize now?~”

I roll my eyes. “Fine fine. What do you waAAAAA-”

Jin lunges at me when I start my sentence and ruthlessly starts to tickle me. I giggle and squirm, trying to grab his arms to stop him. It’s just like before, he’s unstoppable, a veteran tickler. My legs kick a bit, but they don’t hit anything except the bed, as I continue to squirm, tearing coming to my eyes from the laughter. “Mercy! M-Mercy!”

“There’s no such thing as mercy in war!” Jin says with a grin.

I lock eyes with him, still giggling. With quick hands I reach up and start to tickle his sides. His hands freeze and I quickly roll us over so I’m in a more prime positioning for the tickles. Now he’s the laughing mess but he’s better at stopping me, grabbing my wrists as chuckles still escape his lips.

Mm.

My smile turns sweet as I lean down and press a kiss to his lips, gentle and quick. I move my hands from his wrists grips and roll onto my back beside him.

Jin’s hand finds mine and our fingers intertwine together. “What next?” I ask, giggles still in my voice.

“Relaxation.” Jin says, his voice still a bit bubbly from the laughter.

“I thought that’s what was were doing.” I gesture to myself with one hand. “Hell. I’m not even wearing a fucking shirt man. That’s pretty relaxed if I do say so myself.” I frown a bit and tilt my head trying to find the shirt. “I should probably put that back on anyways. So you don’t hafta look at my disgusting chub anymore.” I poke my stomach with one hand before sitting up, looking around.

I let go of his hand and scoot a bit, still trying to find that damned piece of fabric. _It was just on my lap. It couldn’t have gone far. God. Where is-_ my thoughts are cut of by two arms wrapping around my stomach. There’s a weight on my shoulder, which I presume to be Jin’s chin before he whispers, “I’d rather you wouldn’t.~”

After blinking a few times a laugh escapes me. “And why is that, my good sir?” My head keeps turning to try and find that fucking shirt.

“I’m enjoying the view.~”

I snort. “What view? All you can see is my gross chub. Bleh.” I purse my lips. “Where the fuck is my shirt?”

"Actually..." Suddenly, I feel a FUCKING KISS just above my bra. "I'm seeing much more than that~."

My cheeks flush darkly and pat his arms around my stomach. “Mm… That’s not any better of a view.” I laugh a bit, finally finding the shirt. “Ah, there’s the little devil.”

His grip against my stomach strengthens, but not enough to hurt. "Naaaaaaawwwwww."

“‘Naaaaaaawwwwww’?” My eyebrow quirks up a bit. “Am I not allowed to get up and get my shirt to protect your precious eyes?”

I feel him putting a cheek against my back. "Yep."

I let out a hum. “Why?” My hands gently rub his arms. “Won’t I need to put it back on at some point in the day?”

"Later. Let me enjoy the view a bit more." His voice is soft.

“Mm… You won’t be enjoying the view quite as much if you’re staring at my back. One would think you would prefer a front view.” I grin and hum. “Butttt maybe that’s just meeeee.~”

"I like the whole picture, thank you very much." His voice holds a tone of mock offense.

“Is that so?” I reach over and grab a blanket before holding it up to my front, kinda chilly, but Jin keeping my back rather warm with his body heat. “Well, most people just like the twins, nothing really else.” I let out a soft laugh. “Not trying to say you’re most people but that’s just I expect out of people is all.”

"Dummy. I like the whole package, not the XL accessories." He says, voice warm.

I snort and shake my head a bit. “That’s me. A big old dummy.” I let out a relaxed hum. “A big old dummy who loves you a lot. Maybe a bit too much since I don’t know everything about you and you don’t know everything about me...” My eyes shut and a smile comes across my lips. “Who knows what could happen with that.”

"Is that an insinuation?” His head shifts a bit. “Because I'm awful at picking those."

“Nope, it’s not. Don’t worry.” The blanket falls as I pat his arms gently. “I try not to insinuate anything. I try to be blunt about it. And it’s a relaxing day.” I turn my head, craning my neck so I can see his head. “Best not to taint it with depressing stuff, yeah?” I blink. “N-Not saying that depressing stuff taints a good day or anything just tends to like make people more tense and I would rather just hang out with you then talk about that not so fun stuff is all.”

He laughs softly. "Not the kind of insinuation I meant, but okay."

I frown a bit. “What did you mean then?” I pause for a second. “Also can I turn around? Cause I wanna see you, cause I really enjoy looking at you, and I really can’t like this.”

He laughs again. "Sure, turn around."

His arms loosen from around me, his head lifting off my back, and I shift. I turn to face him, moving the blanket so it wraps around my shoulders. “Okay. There.” I look at him with a warm smile. “Hello beautiful.” I giggle a bit. “Now what was it that you thought I was insinuating, sweetie?”

He boops my nose with a smile. "Now, I wonder what it was..."

 

I purse my lips. “Jiiinnnnn.”

Jin grins at me and stays silent. I raise my hands a bit before starting to tickle him again. He lets out a manly squeak of surprise before laughing. “Tell me and I’ll stop.” I say, grinning.

Jin just laughs as I tickle him before grabbing my wrists again. “Okay! Okay!” He keeps laughing. “I-I though you were insinuating for sex.”

I snort a bit and pull my hands out of his grip. “It’s a bit early for that. Even though it sounds fun. It’s a bit early.” I let out a small laugh. “Pfft. Says me.” 

Jin chuckles a bit. “Says you.”

We sit in a comfortable silence, my head resting on Jin’s shoulder, almost falling asleep before my stomach growls loudly. My cheeks redden and I hear Jin laugh. “Shut the fuck up.” I huff, sitting up.

Jin grins at me before scooting away and walking over to the nightstand. He picks up a menu and tosses it at me. I catch it easily, as he sits down at the edge of the bed near the phone. I scoot over to him, legs dangling off the bed as I open the book. “Jesus fucking christ.” My eyes scan the prices first. “I can get a bottle of water for like twenty bucks? Jeeez.” A frown pulls at my lips.

Jin chuckles and rubs my back a bit. “Don't worry about the prices.”

“Suuuurreeeee.” I say, pursing my lips.

He watches me and seems to notice me trying to find something cheap and failing, since he snatches the menu away from me. I blink and he picks up the phone, dialing a number.

I huff softly and lay back, my eyes fluttering shut. I don’t pay much attention to what Jin ends up ordering, and again, I almost fall asleep. A lot closer to doing so this time, curled around a blanket, my leg touching Jin’s leg as a reassurance that he’s there.

Someone lays next to me and I open my eyes sleepily. “Heeeyy.” I say softly. “How are you god damn beautiful, Jin?” I pout. “That’s illegal. Imma arrest you. For being too beautiful.” A smile plays along my lips and I don’t make an effort to move.

"Sorry, forgot the cuffs at home.” Jin says with a chuckle.

I click my tongue. “Dang.” I reach over and boop his nose. “Coulda been real kinky up in here. But noooooo. A giggle escapes me.

 

"They're not comfortable. And I think a half-naked woman already qualifies as kinky, right?" He winks at me.

I snort. “I’m a fourth of the way naked, as a matter of fact. I have a bra on, shorts, and a pair of underwear underneath the shorts.” With a small sigh I shut my eyes. “Plus, it’s not kinky if the fourth of the way naked female isn’t beautiful. So it’s not kinky here.”

"You do realize that I'm physically attracted to you, right?" My eyes open and he tilts his head. I can see that he's honestly asking the question with all the innocence in the world.

 

With a few blinks I laugh. “Jeez. You’re too cute.” A warm smile comes across my lips. “And, ‘Nobody will ever be physically attracted to you, Katrina.’” I mimic the same tone Mother uses on me before shaking my head and letting out a sigh. “That’s what Mother said after the one guy broke up with me, with the prank and stuff... So, no. I don’t really think you are. But that’s just cause I’m a big old idiot who still thinks you’re going to walk up to me one day and tell me this was all just a big, elaborate prank and you never really loved me. Normal stuff, you know?” My lips turn to a frown and I snuggle into the blanket. “God, sorry. Didn’t mean to make this all sad or whatever. Big old stupid me.”

He doesn't say anything for a few seconds, seemingly lost in thought. Then, he reaches and grabs my right breast. He gives it a few gentle strokes and then let's go.

 

 _Excuse me… what? EXCUSE ME! WHAT?_ My cheeks flood with color.

Then, he looks at his hand and mimics the movement. Then, he crosses his arms, closes his eyes and nods to himself. "Yep. Definitely sexy. Damn hot." He nods again to himself.

 

My cheeks heat up with even more color and I stare at him, biting my bottom lip to quell a soft moan. _I HAVE SENSITIVE TITS SO SUE ME YOU FUCKS. ALSO JIN, YOU FUCK! THAT… AAHAHFIENOFNEODJDJW!_ Annnd my brain has crashed. Rebooting. Rebooting. Reeeebbooting.

Reboot successful!

“I… uh… my right tit is sexy..? Damn hot..? Uh. Niiice.” Good words. “Uh. Glad just my right one. Nothing else. Just staying for my right twin. Kay. Got it. I’ll make sure she gets all nice and fancy for your date later. Got it.” I smile a bit and look at Jin, cheeks still very red.

"If you want, I can go for the other one. To check." He raises his left hand.

My cheeks turn redder and I just kind of stare at him, blinking repeatedly. _KAT.EXE HAS CRASHED! AGAIN! REBOOTING!_

…

_REBOOT SUCCESSFUL!_

“I… uh… s-suurre..?” I say, scratching my cheek a bit. “Doo what you wannnt.”

_NO CHILD! GOD FUCKING DAMN IT. YOU’RE GONNA CRASH AGAIN!_

He repeats the process on the left one.

Again, after letting go, he motions with the hand. "Yep, also sexy."

_SKCOSCNSLXNSLCJSKJX!_

Annnd rebooting.

Reboot successful!

“Great!” I grin through my tomato face. “A double date then! Both the twins. Yay. Cause they’re the only sexy things in this room. Other than you, of course.”

"Kat, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not going to grope your whole body to prove my point." Jin says with a little laugh.

“I wasn’t trying to insinuate that!” I say in a rush. “Oh god no!” I shake my head and laugh. “It was a joke. I mean, me being sexy in any way was also a joke.” I grin at him, patting his shoulder. “Good one, by the way.” I roll onto my back, stretching both arms above my head. “Almost thought you were telling the truth for a minute there.” I shoot him a small smile. “No need to lie though.”

He sighs, and shakes his head tiredly. Then, he's suddenly over me and places his head between my boobs.

 

I blink a few times before smiling warmly and resting one hand on his back, gently rubbing circles into it, and the other softly petting his hair. “You okay there, cutie?” I ask softly, mildly used to friends doing this when they’re sad. “Sorry if I did anything.”

Muffled, I hear an "aaaaaaaaarrrrgggghhh", and a hand shoots up, grabbing one of my boobs.

“Heyy!” I huff out. “If you're annoyed don’t take it out on my poor sensitive twins.” My cheeks turn a bit red. “Jeez.” My hands continues to play with his hair and rub his back. “Be nice.”

_OOOKAY BOY! YOU TRYNNA GET INTO MY BRA! SURE! ACTUALLY! DO IT! YEEEEEEEEEE! HAHA! PLEASE. FUCK._

He shoots me an interested look. "Sensitive?"

I make a face. “Sensitive.” I roll my eyes. “They’re fucking huge. How the fuck are they not going to be sensitive, doofus?”

_MAYBE NOT THE BEST INFO- FUCK IT! JUST DON’T MOAN IF HE LIKE STARTS TO PLAY WITH YOUR TITS AND WE’LL BE GOOD! RAD!_

His hands go to both sides of me and I watch him curiously. He separates from me and looks at my boobs from above with a curious look. Then, he leans over and softly kisses over the place where my right nipple is.

 

I feel myself stiffen and let out a little whimper. _ANNNNNNNNNNNDDDD I’M OUT!_ I think my brain has given up on me. I look at Jin, cheeks flushed with color. “Fuck you…” I mutter.

His expression turns worried. "Was that unpleasant? Sorry, it tends to work well."

My cheeks redden even more and I stare at him. “Quite the opposite to unpleasant…” I say softly, chewing my lip. “I… Jeez…” My cheeks flush darker and I cover my cheeks and eyes with my hands.

"Oh! A bit too much, then?” He shoots me an apologetic smile. “Sorry, I was just curious."

“I… just…” I move my hands a bit so I can see his face. “Never had anything, anything, sexual happen to me before… Just… Christ… Sorry.” I laugh a bit and cover my entire face. “That felt… Good… And…” My sentence trails off, me not wanting to finish it.

He laughs. "Aaawwww. Virgins are so cute. You lot get flustered so easily." He teases.

I move my hands and glare at him. “Fuck you!” I huff. “Just cause I’ve never had anyone attracted to me in a physical way or not doesn’t mean you can be an ass about it. I dunno how to handle this stuff…” My eyes become downcast and I start to bite my bottom lip.

"Careful with biting something. Might give me ideas~."

My eyes flick back up to him and narrow. Defiantly, cause I’m a little kid on the inside, I continue to bite my bottom lip, crossing my arms under my chest.

Jin quirks an eyebrow. "Is that an invitation?" He starts rubbing circles on my belly with a finger.

I shiver and stare at him. “What do you think?” My eyes flutter shut. “Do what you want, sweetheart, I’ll only stop you if I get uncomfortable.”

I feel him looming over me. As he draws closer my breath starts going faster and faster and-

Someone knocks on the door. "Room service!"

Jin straightens up and tosses the blanket over me, since I would be able to be seen. He most likely wanted to make sure nobody could see my ugliness.

_FUCKING YOU HAVE THE WORST TIMING ROOM SERVICE!_

They come in after Jin opens the door. The person looks between us before nodding and exiting the room. As soon as the door closes I mutter, “Room service has horrible timing…”

With an annoyed huff I get up, letting the blanket fall. I look down a readjust my bra a bit before walking over to Jin, muttering about how fucking annoying room service is. When I’m beside him I huff. “Well, the good thing is there’s food… Overpriced food.” I’m a salty little shit right now and I’m okay with it, I have a right to be a salty little shit.

He laughs. "Ah, virgins. Look at the good side, you ain't getting eaten." He sighs. "But, honestly, what a timing. I should have put the "don't disturb" sign."

“I would’ve prefered to be eaten.” I say with huff, crossing my arms. “But I guess eating is fine too…”

"That's the spirit!" Jin says with a chuckle.

I huff. “That was an invitation…” I say softly before shaking my head. “Yeah yeah. That’s the spirit indeed. Lets eat…” I say tiredly before walking over to the bed and flopping onto it. “Yayyy.”

Jin walks over and pats my ass. “Scoot.”

I roll onto my back, looking at him. He brought the little cart with all the food on it over so I up with a yawn. He carefully pulls off the little domes on each plate and stick them on the bottom tier of the cart.

_That’s like… A lot of food. That looks really good. But like it cost a fortune… Oh boy._

Jin eyes the food and I frown at it. “Jesus christ. Did you get some of everything or something?”

“No.” He says and picks up a fork. “Just the stuff I figured you’d enjoy.”

“You me-” I’m cut off my a fork being placed in my mouth by Jin.

I blink before pulling the fork out of my mouth, chewing on the pasta. Jin grins at me and I spear a few noodles with the fork, offering it to him. His mouth opens and I put the food into his mouth with a small laugh. “God. I’m awkward as fuck.” I laugh a bit before scooting closer to him.

He just chuckles and kisses my temple. “It’s cute.” Jin smiles at me.

My cheeks flush and I shake my head before going back to feeding myself. Jin pouts and eats. We polish off all the food, somehow, and I’m pretty full.

Out of seemingly nowhere, Jin pulls out a plate full of strawberries. I squint at them, laying back. He looks over at me before scooting back and dangling the red fruit above my lips. Some of the water from when they were washed rolls off the strawberry and lands on my lips. It’s cold. My eyes flick to the berry and I reach up to grab it; however, Jin pulls it away from my reach. I pout. “Can I havveee it?” I whine.

Jin just grins at me and I cross my arms with a pout. The berry moves closer until it’s touching my lips. I open my mouth and take a bite, Jin letting the fruit go as I eat it. I eye him the entire time until I finish. “Now, why do you feel the need to feed me?” I ask, picking up a strawberry myself and looking at it.

“Cause it’s cute.” Jin chuckles a bit.

I roll my eyes before feeding him a strawberry which he takes gratefully. We polish off the strawberries pretty quickly too, alternating who fed the other until there was only one strawberry left. We both stare at it and Jin gets it before I can. I pout as he feeds me the berry. Half of it rests in my mouth and I am about to bite it in half but my companion leans down and takes the other half in his mouth, our lips pressed together. One of his hands rest on my stomach as he bites down and pulls away with half the strawberry for himself.

_He’s fucking hot…_

And then he shoots me a cocky wink.

_Still hot but now also a jerk._

My cheeks redden and I eat the strawberry half, then sit up. We stare at each other for a while. I have no clue what’s running through his mind but mine is telling me great things. _Ah fuck. We’re gonna fuck him. I REPEAT! WE ARE GOING TO FUCK HIM! THOUGH TECHNICALLY HE’S GOING TO FUCK US BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? SAME FUCKING DIFFERENCE! LATER THO! He seems to want it, if the tit grabs and stuff mean anything. Hng. Okay. Lets NOT THINK ABOUT THAT STUFF! Nice!_

Jin grins a bit. “You know.” He leans a bit closer, causing my breath to hitch. “Maybe we should get back to before we were rudely interupted.~” He moves closer, our noses touching.

My cheeks flare up even more and I blink repeatedly. “I… uh… S-S-Sure…” I manage to stutter out.

His grin widens and his eyes close, tilting his head a bit. Mine shut as well and his lips are almost touching mine when a knock on the door is heard. My eyes snap open and Jin sighs before standing up and walking to the door. I quickly pull my shirt back on, it laying right next to me as Jin opens the door. It’s the room service guy. _You cockblocking motherfucker._

The guy comes into the room, shooting me a wink before wheeling the cart out of the room. “Have a nice day.” He calls.

Jin shuts the door behind the guy and runs a hand through his hair in annoyment.

“You know. There are places we could go that we wouldn’t be interrupted.” I say innocently. “Seeing as people just keep trying to cockblock us. Though, I guess it’s more lip-bite-block then anything else.” Jin looks at me with a laugh.

“You saying you want to go?”

“Maybe. Hotels aren’t really my thing.” I shrug a bit, looking around. “Not saying anything bad about this one, or us coming here, because it was nice. Really nice.” My cheek flush a bit. “But home would be better.” I look over at him with a smile.

“Won’t your brother and Pops bother us?” Jin quirks an eyebrow.

“Who says it hasta be my home?” I say with a small yawn, still god damned fucking tired.

He nods a bit before letting out a breath, picking up his sunglasses and robe. “Well, lets go then.”

I nod and get up, pulling on my own robe and grabbing my stuff from the bathroom. When I remerge from the bathroom, Jin is standing by the door. We walk out together and get into the elevator, going to the lobby.

I see a familiar face by the registration lady person. The man, Oda, turns to look at us when we enter the lobby with a grin. “Hello there!”

With a smile, I walk up to him. “Hello Oda. How are you on this fine…” I look out the door to see what time it is.” Afternoon?”

Jin walks up behind me and pulls out his wallet. “Ah, kid, I’ve already covered it.”

We both look at him. “What?” And we’re synchronized too.

“You heard me!” Oda smile brightly.

"Are you buying half of the town again?" Jin asks with a monotonous voice.

"That's a tremendous exaggeration! It'll be a third at most." Oda huffs.

I cover my mouth with a hand and giggle to myself. _What a great little… family… I wonder if they consider each other family. Eh. They don’t hafta know I thought about that._

\-----

They get into the car.

"Soooooo... Why was he there? If you don't mind me asking."

Okay, she's obviously thinking that the stupid old man followed them or something. Not that he can blame her.

Jin sighs. "Every time he goes to a place he does this shit. Starts getting employees, starts buying businesses, and when you notice what has happened, there are already six numbers long ciphers running around. He was just doing his thing. Going around hotels, buying them." He sighs again. "Honestly, what are the chances of him coming to that one in particular? What a bother..."

Kat laughs besides him. "Hey, he didn't say a thing at least."

To her, that was. The look he shot him... He wasn't gonna hear the end of it in months. Uuuuuuuuggggghhh...

They keep going on a comfortable silence.

"So..." Kat starts blushing a bit. "What we... Were gonna do... Uh..."

Jin smirks. "And what were we gonna do?"

She looks at him with an adorably annoyed expression. She looks so cute when she's tired of his shit. "You know the... That..."

"The quaber jabber?"

"Jin..."

"The inverse limbo?"

"Jiiiiiiin..."

"Entering the bone zone?"

"That just sounds weird." She clasps her hands in front of her face. "Look! We were gonna" The blush increases. "fuck! Okay?! So I'm a little... Rattled..."

Were, huh? "Look, Kat. It's okay if you don't feel like-"

"The heck are you talking about?!" Wait. What? "Ya think...? Of course I wanna do it, you dummy! After all that fucking teasing today? HOW THE FUCK WOULD I NOT WANNA?!" She looks down, cheeks burning even more. "Just... I'm a bit nervous... And I can't imagine why would you wanna do that with me..."

He frowns. Without a word, he parks in front of his house. They both exit the cat and close the doors.

Then, he moves fast and, in a second, he is carrying her, Disney Princess style.

She lets out a shriek and grabs to him. "What the-?!"

"It just ocurred to me..." He interrupts her softly. "That I have never shown you my room. My bed is quite comfortable, you see. We could take a nap, since you are tired. Together." He smiles at her with the last word.

Kat's whole face turns red. She bites her lip before smiling nervously. "I... I would love to..."

Both smiling, they enter the house.

"But, hey, you asshole. No biting."

"Can't make any promises."

Turns out they don't nap at all in the afternoon.

Nor do they sleep much at night, to be honest.

None complain tho. Oh no, complaining is completely out of the question. ♡

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Yeah! We're still here! HAHA!
> 
> I'm sorry. This is mostly myyy fault cause it was taking me a long ass time to write my part of the chapter and just. Ugh. I apologize for the lateness. I hate school. xD
> 
> Anyways. Um. Yeee. That happened. Leave a comment or kudos. I apologize for the shittiness of my part. Took me a while but was still bad.
> 
> Um.
> 
> Byeeeeeeeee! (It's cery fucking hot outside and my AC is broken so now I'm laying on my bed and trying not to die. Life is fun!) ~Taba
> 
> THIS A SIN FREE STORY.  
> I mean, more or less.  
> Less than more?
> 
> Anyhow, thanks for reading.~Faggot


	16. Really Fluffy Chapter. Everything Is Okay.

I wake up naked, but unbelievably comfortable. _I always sleep with at least a shirt on… and it’s not unbearably hot, so why the fuck am I naked?_

A soft breath touches my lips, causing me to open my eyes. With a couple of blinks I register who’s laying there and also what the fuck happened yesterday.

Annnd now my face is a tomato.

I pull the blankets up a bit, covering just about all of myself except for my head, cheeks still on fire.

 _That… happened… okay… Haha. Fuck. I… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_ My brain screams when Jin’s eyes open and meet my own, a warm smile gracing his face. _FUUUUCCCKKKKKKK WHYYYYYY ISSSS HEEEE SSSOOOOO HOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTT?! THAT’S NOT FAIRRRR!_

Jin reaches over and wraps an arm around me, pulling me closer. “Mm~ Morning beautiful.” His voice is soft and full of love.

My cheeks redden even more and I hide my face in his chest. “M-Mor-Morningg!” I stutter out.

I hear Jin chuckle, his chin resting on top of my head. My chest is squishes against his, making my cheeks become a bit redder. “Sleep well?” He asks.

I shift a bit and look up at him, craning my neck back a bit. Jin looks down and grins. “I slept fine. Your bed really is comfortable. Jeez.” A little laugh escapes me.

Jin chuckles. “I told you.”

My cheeks flush again and I shift so I’m laying beside him, a bit aways but his arm is still thrown over my waist. “S-So…”

He quirks an eyebrow with a grin. “So?”

I press my lips into a line and huff, then roll over so my back is to him and I can barely see the clock. I squint at it and it reads 10:00 AM. “Well, daAA-” I’m cut off with a small shriek as Jin wraps both arms around me and pulls me so my back is flush with his chest.

His breath ghosts over my neck. “Why don’t we just stay in bed, all day?” He asks, one arm holding me, the other rubbing small circles against my stomach.

“I thought we did that yesterday.” I say with a small bubble of laughter from my stomach being ticklish. “Or do you mean like…” My cheeks flush a darker color.

“Either way works for me.” Jin presses a kiss to the back of my neck, causing my to shiver.

I let out a soft sigh, turning in his grip so I could run my hands through his hair gently. He watches me curiously as my focus remains on his hair, the snowy color just so god damned beautiful. My gaze flicks down back to him and I lean forward, kissing him. His arms tighten around me as he kisses back.

It's only a few moments that we kiss, though I guess it’d be more so called a make out, and when we break apart a thin string of saliva connects our mouths. I giggle softly, just really happy. So god damned happy. _Do I really deserve this happiness?_ I cast the thought aside, focusing on Jin who’s just staring at me.

“God, you’re beautiful.” He says, voice soft, and almost full of wonder.

My cheeks flood with color and I laugh, pulling one of my hands out of his hair to cover my mouth. “I-I’m real-.” I start, laughter in my voice.

Until Jin cuts me off with a kiss. He pulls away after a moment, my cheeks redder. “I think you’re a fucking wonder. You’re beautiful.” He smiles as his hands trail up and down my back. “So beautiful.” He whispers before kissing my cheek. 

“Oh jeez…” My face is once again a tomato. “Sorry…”

“What for?” He asks, tilting his head.

“I feel like I’m always in need to reassurance of stupid stuff, and that’s probably annoying.” I cover my face with my hands. “Oh jeez. I’m sorry.”

His hands rub along my spine and I’m pulled closer to him. "You know, you over think stuff way too much. Just how with the flow. Enjoy the moment. With me, if you don't mind." His voice is a rumble, his mouth presses to my hair.

I blink and laugh a bit, wrapping my arms around him and pulling his closer. “Okay, I think I can do that.” I say, my voice soft.

We lay like that for a while, in a comfortable silence, the only noises being out steady breathing. After a while I start to feel extremely gross, as in my hair feels gross from all the sweat that had accumulated into it from yesterday's… adventures. Plus there is a dull throbbing down there, and I really need a shower anyways. “Hey,” I start. “I need a shower.”

“So do I.” Jin says softly.

We both are silent for a few moments before we speak at the same time. “Do you have two showers?” Is what I say when Jin says, “Want to take one together?” At the exact same time.

We both laugh. “I only have one shower.” He says with a grin.

“We could take turns..?” I say softly.

“Why not to take one together?” There’s that adorable ass innocent head tilt.

“Uh… I…” I stutter. “T-To protect your pr-precious e-eyes fr-from hav-having to lo-look at m-my nake-naked body… Again..?” I offer.

Jin stares at me for a moment before grabbing the blanket and pulling it off of me, and partially off himself. My cheeks flush red and I hurriedly try to cover myself with my hands. He looks at me up and down then nods, before pulling the blanket over me again, but not covering his chest. “My precious eyes like what they see.” He winks at me.

My face turns hotter. “Finneeeeee.” I grumble out.

“I’m not going to force you.”

“It’ll cut down the water bills. Not that it would matter much, but it also technically means less water and lets save the planet or whatever.” I sit up and stretch my arms over my head with a grunt.

I twist my back to either side, and it feels like my spinal cords are almost popping back into place. A pleasured sigh leaves my lips and I turn to look at Jin who’s propped up on his elbow watching me with a grin. “What..?” I mutter.

He just continues to stare so I cross my arms over my chest. “W-What?” My voice is louder.

“Ready to go?” He grins, pushing himself up.

The blankets pool the rest of the way down his chest, settling on his lap. My eyes roam down his chest and then to his face. “U-Uhuh.” I stutter out.

 _FUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKK MEEEEEEEEEEE! Oh wait, HE ALREADY DID!_ My cheeks flush with color as Jin runs a hand through his hair a few times, yawning a bit. He gets off the bed and stretches, and I watch the muscles on his back flex and wince a bit at the pain he must feel in the burned areas.

Silently, I crawl across the bed and rest in my knees before him, wrapping my arms around his torso and pressing loving kisses to a few of the scars littered along his back, mostly focusing on the burns on his shoulder blades. He lets out a small noise of surprise when he feels my arms wrap around him and a the first kiss against his back. Then he chuckles. “Come on, lets get clean.”

I nod a bit and let go of him, yawning a bit as I wrap a blanket around me, standing up. Jin eyes the blanket curiously. “You do know we’re going into a shower.”

“And?”

“You can’t keep that blanket around you forever.” He teases.

I shrug and walk to the bathroom with him. It’s as extravagant as the rest of his house. He walks over to the shower and turns the water on, before looking at me. I sigh softly and let the blanket drop, walking over to the shower as well, crossing my arms over my chest, mildly uncomfortable. _Fuck it, I’m very uncomfortable. But it’ll be okay._

We both step into the large shower and, well, get wet. Shocking, I know. I’m mildly tense as I get under the shower head and get myself wet enough to start to clean myself. _That sounds dirty. Whatever._

Most stories go out and portray that having a shower with your loved one would be hot. You fuck in the shower. Shit like that.

But it’s actually mostly relaxing. Very very relaxing. I mean, Jin’s currently washing my hair for me, being gentle and rubbing my scalp. I feel like I’m purring. _God am I purring? Was I uncomfortable before this? Yes. Am I uncomfortable now? Mildly but it was mostly because I thought we were actually going to have that stereotypical thing where the two would bang in the shower. But only mildly because my body is gross. Though Jin seems to not care about it, well he cares, but he doesn’t care that I’m a chubby lil bean._ I’m pulled out of my thoughts when Jin pulls his hands out of my hair. I blink almost sleepily at him and he chuckles a bit, leaning down a bit and kiss my lips gently. I blink awake when he pulls away before rinsing my hair out.

He then tackles my hair with some conditioner, and I grab onto his hips for stability, since I actually feel like I’m going to fall if he keeps petting my hair. The conditioning goes by a bit quicker and I rinse that out too. He grabs the shampoo again, most likely to wash his own hair but I gently grab his wrist. “Can I..?”

Jin smiles warmly and nods, handing me the bottle. I squirt out a good amount before returning the bottle to it’s position. I stand on my toes to start to run my shampooed hands through Jin’s wet mess of hair. I repeat the same motions he did for me, massaging his scalp gently. Jin wraps his arms around my hips to hold me steady, grinning at me. I shoot him an annoyed look before pulling away and rinsing off my hands.

He gets under the water and rinses out his hair and I repeat the process for the conditioner.

We stare at each other for a moment after he rinses out his hair again, then our gazes flick to the single bar of soap. Jin is faster, so he grabs it first. I pout and lean back, figuring he’s going to wash himself and then hand the soap to me.

What he actually does is lather up the soap quite a bit before returning it to its spot. I go to pick it up when two hands, soapy hands, start to massage my back. My cheeks redden as his hands move around, washing my stomach. Then up over my breasts, making my cheeks redden even more, then down my arms. He carefully holds my hands before washing my legs and ass. I stumble back into the water as he quickly washing himself, and we switch spots.

Jin turns off the water before looking at me. With a wink, he opens the shower door thingy and wraps his lower half in a towel. He turns to me, holding a towel open. I step out and an immediately engulfed in said towel, getting dried off. A few giggles escape my lips as Jin dries my body off. He throws the towel over my head and then walks away. I pull the towel up to look out, to see him grab a robe and walk over to me. Jin carefully puts the robe on me and tires it in the front, the top open enough to show the tops of my breasts and the bottom reaching to my knees. It might’ve have reached further if the fabric didn’t have to go around my breasts, but whatever.

He reaches up and towel dries my hair, before toweling his own hair dry. I watch him as he dries off his torso as well, watching a few drops of water roll down from his hair to his chest. _This very sexy man is mine. Even if only for now. But god. He’s mine. Shit. How did this happen? Oh right, Logan._ I make a mental note to thank him for this.

A hand is waved across my vision and I blink. “Earth to Kat.” I hear Jin say with a chuckle.

“Ah! Sorry!” I turn red. “I was spacing out.”

“I could tell.” He chuckles.

“Well, uh. Sorry still.”

“It’s alright, cutie.” He winks before gently taking my hand and walking me to the bedroom, grabbing a brush on his way.

I let him pull me along until we reach his bedroom again. Where he walks to his closet and pulls in a pair of boxers, tossing his towel to the side, then a pair of sweatpants. I sit down on the edge of the bed, silently questioning if I could still wear my clothes from yesterday. Then I decide against it, not wanting to put those back on when I’m all clean.

While I’m pondering, Jin settles on the bed behind me with the brush, his own hair having been tamed, and starting to brush through my locks carefully. It’s gentler than I’ve probably ever treated my hair, and he brushes through the knots expertly. Once he’s done with that he puts the brush down. I look over my shoulder at him. “You having fun?”

He hums softly. “Yeah.”

I laugh a bit and turn around, sitting carefully, looking at him. “Do you happen the have any clothes I could potentially borrow? Or am I just stuck in this robe until I can go to my house?”

Jin chuckles a bit and gets off the bed, walking back over to his closet. He eyes everything with pursed lips before pulling a rather large shirt off a shelf and tossing it to me along with a pair of baggy shorts. “This work?”

“Close enough.” I say and pull off the robe then pull on the clothes, also clipping my bra back on. “I’m almost offended that you think I need a shirt this big.” I say, teasingly, the shirt actually fitting enough where it wasn’t too tight and very loose and breathable.

“You can take it off if you want.” Jin shrugs and chuckles.

“Mm, tempting.” I say with a laugh.

He climbs back into bed and I flop onto his bed, turning to face him. His arms engulf my frame and pull me against his bare chest. I squeak with a giggle, my arms wrapping around him tightly, well as tightly as I can with our foreheads pressed together. 

We both relax, sharing a few soft kisses every so often. A few minutes pass and I’m now cuddled against his chest, one of his hands rubbing my back, the other playing with my hair. I can hear his heartbeat against my ear. It’s calming.

A few more minutes pass when I finally address the elephant in the room, or maybe it’s just an elephant in the room for me.

“So… uh…” Jin’s hands stop. “Yesterday happened…” I say softly.

Jin chuckles. “Quite a number of times, yeah.”

My cheeks turn red. “Uh… D… Do you regret it..?”

_WHY THE FUCK DID I JUST ASK THAT?! OH GOD! MAYBE I SHOULDN’T HAVE STARTED OUT WITH SOMETHING THAT SERIOUS! FUCK WELL LETS SEE HOW THIS PANS OUT!_

"Not in a million years.” He pauses for a moment. “What, you do?" 

“W-What? No! No! No!” I let out a little laugh. “No, I don’t. Sorry, I don’t know why I asked that.” Yes I do… “God, sorry if it seemed like that.”

"Probably because you're thinking it's a pretty big deal." Jin’s hand returns to rubbing my back and head.

I laugh a bit humorlessly. “I… yeah… Yeah… I am… Like usual.” I scratch my arm a bit. “Sorry.”

"Hey, relax.” His hand rubbing my back continues, his other hand stopping. “Was just sex. I mean, it was pretty damn great one at that. But just sex.”

My cheeks flush a bit. “I… I… O-Okay… S-Sorry… I-I guess… it isn’t that big of a deal then… S-Sorry again…” I let out a sigh and clasp my hands together.

"Hey." He grabs my hands softly. "You know why last night was special to me?"

I blush and look at him. “Uh… was it special..? I mean… oh jeez… it was special to me… just… i dunno if it was special to you…” Fucking tear are starting to come to my eyes so I shut my eyes tightly to force them back.

_Why are you such a piece of shit? Huh? God. Stop fucking talking, stop,_

"First time not having sex, but making love." He stays silent for a bit and then snorts. "Pffft. Sorry. That was cheesy."

My entire brain short circuits, and my face turns red. I stare at him too long and it seems to make Jin is kind of uncomfortable. “Holy fucking shit, Jin. You’re so god damned fucking precious and cute. Oh my fucking god.”

He scratches his cheek. "I don't think I'm that cute..."

My cheeks flush warmer and I set my hands on his cheeks, leaning up and peppering his face with kisses. “You’re so fucking adorable.” I say softly. “God, you’re so fucking adorable.” I nuzzle his cheek and pull away, staring at his eyes. “I love you so much you fucking adorable bean.”

He starts laughing. "Hey, quit it! I'm not trying to be cute."

“You don’t have to try to be cute. You just are cute.” I smile warmly at him.

"Pppffffttt. Shut up."

I grin. “You loveee itt~”

"Nah. I'm amused by it.” He chuckles and pulls me closer. “I love you."

A laugh a bit and rest my forehead against his. “You’re god damned adorable, Jin. I love you too, a lot.”

"You know... Some people would say that the morning after the first night together would be the perfect time to ask. The big question."

I blink and look at him. “Uh…” My cheeks flush. “What big question? There’s a lotta big questions in relationships.”

He smirks evilly. "Would you mind if I bought you lingerie?~” He chuckles a bit. “Seriously, I got a few ideas from last night."

I inhale slowly then exhale slowly. “You know what? Sure. Go for it, you fucking asshole.”

"Yay! By the way, I'll use the fact that you agreed to it against you." He grins.

“Great. Can’t fucking wait.” I sigh, amused.

"Hey, gotta buy my girl cute things. That's what boyfriends do.” He pauses and scratches his cheek awkwardly. “... Right? I, uh, I'm kinda new at this."

“Don’t ask me. I barely know how this shit works either.” I laugh softly and smile at him. “But don’t feel like you need to buy me things. I mean it’s nice, but you don’t need to. It’s alright.”

"I still would like to do something like that..." Jin says softly, looking at me.

A warm smile comes across my lips and watch him. “Oh, sweetie. You’re a gift enough for me, you don’t need to get me any other gifts.”

Jin smile warmly and chuckles. “I want to.”

With a small amused sigh, I say, “Well, instead of arguing about it for the next however long, I’ll just let you do what you want.” I smile a bit. “Within reason.”

He grins and pulls me closer, nuzzling the top of my head. We lay like that for a few hours, and I think I drift off into slumber once or twice. Well, whatever the case I finally sit up around noon because my stomach is loudly protesting at the fact that I have not eaten in awhile.

Jin laughs as I glare down at my tummy, sitting up as well. My hair is dry but a fucking knotted mess from me laying down, so I go to grab the brush. I grab it and start to haphazardly tug it through my hair, wincing a bit in pain. One hand gently wraps around my wrist, the other around the brush handle and I let go of the brush, looking at Jin.

With a smile, he delicately starts to brush out my hair. It doesn’t pull at my hair or even hurt, and once he’s done, he runs his fingers through my hair, the brush in his lap. I look over my shoulder and smile warmly to him. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” He says softly before turning my head to face the wall.

“You hungry?”

“Hungry for you.~” Jin grins.

I sigh. “You had me last night for dinner.” I eye him. “You shouldn’t eat the same thing all the time, honey.” I look at him over my shoulder. “So, are you hungry?” My eyebrow quirks up.

Jin smiles warmly and laughs. “Yeah.” His arms wrap around me, hugging me to his chest, head in my hair. “I could eat.”

My arms rest over his, eyes shutting. “What would you like to eat?” My voice and body are relaxed, more relaxed that I’ve probably ever been in my life.

I hear him give an uncommitted hum, and we sit there, him holding me, for a while. My stomach growls again, making both of us laugh a bit before Jin lets me go, reluctantly.

We both stand up, and I stretch again, letting out a soft groan as Jin pulls on a long sleeved shirt, and changes his sweats in exchange for a pair of jeans. He offers a hand to me and I take it. Jin tugs me closer and presses a kiss to my lips. My hand grips his tightly and I pull away from him with a small smile. “Come on. Food.”

Jin smiles and tugs me along through the labyrinth of books to the front door. Which he opens and ushers me through. I giggle a bit and walk through, not letting go of his hand.

We walk to his car and hop in before he drives me home. I let out a soft sigh, our hands never letting go of the other except when Jin needed both hands to steer. We pull up to my house and he parks the car. We both exit and I quickly walk over to him, taking his hand again, feeling super god damned cuddly. Maybe a bit too much. _Hopefully he doesn’t get put off by it..._

Together, we walk to the front door and I pull out my key and unlock it. The door opens and I’m not even met with the pitter patter of paws coming to the door. _Oh right. They’re going to the vet today. Shit. I was supposed to take them… Pops must’ve…_ I look around and feel guilt swell up inside of me. _And Logan is at work… I’ll have to apologize to both of them when I see them next._

Jin’s hand squeezes mine gently and I look over at him. “You okay?”

“Mm…” I hum uncommittedly before walking to my room, still holding his hand gently.

With a few quick movements, I pull on an outfit, having to switch out my bra and fun stuff like that. When I’m done, I turn to see Jin leaning against the door with a grin across his face. I sigh and shake my head at him, going to walk past him. His arm reaches out, wrapping around my waist ad pulling me against him. “You’re hot.” He says softly, nuzzling my hair a bit.

I blush. “And why’d you say that..?”

“Because, I know you don’t think you are. So I’m just going to have to tell you enough times until you finally see it.” His voice is low, and his fingers trail a bit against my waist.

My cheeks turn redder. “K-Kay.” I stutter out.

Jin grins and kisses my cheek before letting me go. “You ready?”

I nod a bit and he takes my hand, both of us walking to his car.

He drives us to the same cafe where we had our first date. _Huh…_

We exit the car and go inside, still holding hands. Then we get in line.

Once again, I feel eyes on us, but I am able to ignore it better, Jin gripping my hand a bit tighter and looking over at me. “Brings back memories, huh?”

A fond smile plays along my lips. “Yeah…” I pause for a moment before going on, leaning a bit against him. “I met a complete asshole here. He gave me a bit of a headache and I left the cafe after having my first kiss and then he just disappeared. Made me a bit sad.” I look over at him. “Funny enough he happens to be the man who holds my heart, the man of my life.” I smile warmly at him. “Some could even say the love of my life, but others say it’s be too soon to tell.” I lean in a bit closer, whispering. “But if you had to ask me, and if I’m judging my feelings correctly, I can confidently confirm the fact.” I lean back to see a very present blush along his cheeks.

He scratches the back of his head. "Jeez, don't go saying that kind of thing out of nowhere..."

"Oh, but I got a lot more to say to future husband." I say cheerfully with a bright smile.

"Well, I'm just saying- WAIT FUTURE WHAT?" His blush gets redder.

I cling to his arm, the bright smile still across my lips.. "Mhmm. I’m not gonna let ya go ever, babe. Love ya too much." I wink.

The line moves forward and we’re at the front. Jin seems to be… occupied, so I happily order for both of us, paying as well. Getting him a hot cocoa and myself a coffee along with some pastries. The lady behind the counter is the same one that was there the first time we came through and she seems to recognize us a bit, laughing softly as she hands me the drinks.

I walk us over to a corner of the store where I could sit next to him instead of across from him. _Damnit you’re so fucking cuddly. Stop._

I ponder it for a moment before sitting across from him anyways. _But not it’s colderrr!_

With a sigh I roll my eyes and hand Jin a pastry. “So,” I ask, and he looks up at me, cheeks still a bit red, “you really like chocolate, huh? Why is that?”

"Because coffee tastes like crap. And chocolate tastes awesome. Ask anybody what tastes better, they'll all say chocolate. Plus, sugar helps keeping the brain active." Jin says, sipping his cocoa.

I laugh. “Yeah, coffee does taste like shit.” Even as I say that, I take a large drink of my coffee. “Unless you drown it in cream and sugar. So you do have a point.”

Jin quirks an eyebrow, eyeing me. “So why the hell do you drink it then?”

“It’s literally the only thing that can keep me awake. Other than like people and the dark, since I’m terrified by it so I’m usually on high alert whenever it’s dark.” I shake my head. “But yeah. The caffeine keeps me up longer than a sugar rush will.” I shrug a bit. “If I could stay awake I’d probably drink hot chocolate more than coffee, but alas, I’m not as lucky as you, and I need this less tasty drink to keep me functioning as a human being.”

He looks at me then chuckles "You know, it's funny you would say 'alas'."

"Why is that?" My eyebrow quirks up, sipping my coffee.

"In Spanish 'alas' means 'wings'. Perfect word for my angel." Jin shoots me a wink and my face turns red.

“Are you ever not cute?” I ask in a huff. “Christ."

"We both know I change between cute, attractive and unrivalled libido raiser."  
He wiggles his eyebrows.

“Or perhaps, you’re always all three of those things and everything in between.” I grin. “But, alas, we shall never know. Well I know…” I frown a bit. “And to me, there may not be enough adjectives to describe you, but it is all three of those things and everything in between. At all times.”

 

He raises an eyebrow. "So are my libido raiser properties affecting you? Not that I would mind if they did, but I think the people here may have a different opinion about public expression of affection. On that level, at least."

My cheeks turn red. “Look… I can’t control this shit.” I huff. “You’re just really fucking hot and I love you a lot and shit. So the answer is technically yes, it just affects me more or less depending on the situation. Happy now?” I cross my arms and lean back in my chair, eyeing him. 

He smiles lazily. "Yep. By the way, there are bathrooms where I can help you 'discharge' your libido meters if necessary. Just saying~."

I inhale sharply and shoot him a glare, cheeks flooding with color. “Bathrooms are unsanitary and uncomfortable. I’m sure I can control my libido meters long enough to get someplace more comfortable.” I puff out my cheeks. “Don’t underestimate my strengths.”

"I don't. I just offer fun opportunities." He says with a chuckle.

“Sureee, cause that would be fun for you.” My voice drips with sarcasm. “But anyways. Anything you want to talk about?”

"Actually, yeah. I was thinking since we've taken such a step in... Intimacy, that I should tell you something."

“Hm?”

"Look I haven't exactly been hiding that this wasn't my first time. I've been with a lot of people, so I was wondering if that presents some kind of trouble or something, or if you had any questions about that."

I blink before shrugging. “It’s in the past, right? I don’t see why it would present any troubles, no matter who you may have been having sex with. I may be your girlfriend, but that doesn’t really matter to me.” I take another large gulp of my coffee. “I have questions, but none of them are important.” I shrug again, letting out a small sigh, a smile coming across my lips. “Sorry if that makes me boring, but I guess that’s just me as a human being.”

"Nah. You're MY favourite human being. Anyhow, if you ever want to ask, do it." He smiles warmly.

With an unattractive snort, I say, “Pfft. I shouldn’t be your favorite human being. I’m not worth that.” I shake my head with a little laugh.

_I’m also not worth him. He’s so much better than I’ll ever be. He deserves better. God damn. Just leave him. For fucks sake. He’ll be happier. Doesn’t matter that you’re happier with him, make sure he’s fucking happen._

My heart clenches a bit and I sigh. “Well, I guess I have one question, that’s maybe important.” My eyebrows furrow and my hand move to my lap, fingers digging into my thighs. “It’s a dumb question, but uh… Did they make you happy? Or did just doing that in general make you happy?”

He blinks a few times. "Ah! You mean sex. Well, it didn't make me unhappy, that's for sure. But it never was something with 'love'. It wasn't the same as what we did. Was something completely centred in satisfying a necessity. So, no, it didn't make me happy. You make me happy, tho.”

I let out a shaky breath. “Hah. Sorry. It was a dumb question.” My hands unclench from my thighs and I rub my face with them. “Sorry. Stupid me with my stupid questions.”

"Hey, you're not stupid. And if someone ever calls you that, I'll beat them to a pulp." Jin smiles.

“Does that mean you’re going to beat me to a pulp..? I’m constantly calling myself stupid and worse things.” I laugh, as if it’s a joke but it’s really not.

"Nah. Still owe you some spanks tho." He winks at me. "That will have to do."

My cheeks flush with color. “Oh fuck right off.” I huff out. “It won’t do cause I don’t think I’m supposed to enjoy getting ‘punished’ for being a jerk to myself.”

"That's just dumb. Why would i ever do something that would be negative to you? Also, you just admitted you like it." He wiggles his eyebrows.

“See, just me being dumb.” I rub my eyes a bit and a laugh. “All the time…” I continue to rub my eyes as if to try and pull those thoughts out of my mind. “And I figured you already knew that I enjoyed it,”

Jin laughs. "Anyway, you seem tired as fuck. No pun intended. We should head to your house."

I nod a bit and finish the last of my coffee, Jin draining the rest of his drink, our pastries having been eaten through our conversation. I rub my eyes a bit more and yawn. Jin gets up and offers a hand to me, which I take, hauling myself up. I lean against him a bit heavily and clin to his arms as we walk, somehow more tired than I was when I walked into the cafe.

Jin ends up picking me up and carrying me to the car. I don’t protest to that, actually enjoying it as he settles me into the seat and buckles me up, giving me a gentle kiss on the lips once he’s done.

He shuts the door and goes to his side, driving off to my house. I stay awake in the car for the most part, and he parks in front of the house.

Jin gets out of the car and walks to the passenger's side. I had managed to unbuckle myself and he scoops me up in his arms, shutting the door. We walk to the front door when opens, Pops looking at both of us with an expression that’s hard to read. I smile at him warmly and he lets us through.

Pops leads us to the couch, and Jin sits down on it, keeping me on his lap. My arms wrap around his neck and I snuggle into his shoulder, hearing them start to talk but falling asleep before anything fun and exciting happens, pressed firmly against Jin.

\-----

Sit on a sofa, check. Sleeping girlfriend on his shoulder, check.

"So, that's about all that happened."

The older man nods with a serious expression. "I see."

The talk with his girlfriend's dad? Please, don't check.

"Kid, we need to talk." Dammit. Check. Hopefully not check-mate. Hahaha... Oh, this is bad. The usually cheery expression on the man's face looks dead serious. And tired. "I think you are a good kid. I really do. But, I'm not sure you aren't going to hurt her. I'm not saying it will be on purpose, but I think you two are bonfires feeding each others flames. The powerful and beautiful fire eventually runs out, and only a black spot of what used to be logs. You two really love each other, but it's gonna hurt being together. And pain tires people out. I have only one thing to ask of you. Kat and you are really attached. So, if you are ever to leave her, please... Talk to her. Tell her why. Otherwise, she will blame herself."

"I swear on my life, if that was to ever happen, it will be as you say."

They both know that this is pure useless comfort for their thoughts. If that happened, no words would keep Kat from from blaiming herself.

Suddenly, the old man seems to cheer up. "Anyhow, you two finally came to... Really sharing personal space, huh? Wink, wink, nudge, nudge."

For the love of Christ, he already has a smartass in his head, he doesn't one out of it. "You could say that."

God, this is uncomfortable.

"Do I need to remind you youngsters to use protection?"

GOD, THIS IS UNCOMFORTABLE.

"No worries, I always carry at least one knife with me."

The guy laughs, but actually it's no laughing matter.

One: He always carries at least four knives with him. You can never know.

Two: He kinda forgot about protection in the heat of the moment. Well, he has picked, and discretely placed in one of Kat's pockets, a certain pil to make sure that there are no cookies in the oven.

His phone rings. Jin takes it out (thanking the opportunity to avoid this conversation) and checks his messages.

Well, shit.

Careful to not wake Kat up, he gets up from the sofa. "Sorry to cut short this infinite pain that you call conversation, but I need to go. Work."

The Popscicle indicates that it's okay, and promises to take care of Kat. The cats, having come from who knows where, laying besides her, not paying any mind to the other inferior beings and guarding the lady that feeds them. And gives them pets. All the pets pots pats. That said, when he's not looking, they eye the new guy suspiciously. He seemed to be getting even more cuddles than them, they think. Except Dresden. Dresden knows what's up.

Besides the door, Jin finds Logan. "My dad is a pretty smart guy, but I think he's wrong this time. I see you guys being together forever." He frowns. "Don't tell Kat I said any of this."

Jin smiles. "Aaawww, the chicken boy is actually nice when he's not being an asshole."

"Fuck you."

"Wouldn't you like that..."

Logan blushes furiously and frowns. "Rather leave that to Kat... Hey, one question. If I was a girl and asked you out before you met Kat, you think we would have..."

"Fucked?" Logan's blush increases. "Heck yeah. But you wouldn't have to be a girl for that. I'm viry bi, and you're hella cute."

And with that words, he exits the house with a grin.

Getting in the car, he talks inside his mind. "Wakey wakey!"

A yawn like sound answers him. _You done with your girl, kid?_

"Not even close, but we got work to do." He takes out his phone and dials a number. Soon enough, she picks up. "Paula! How you doing?"

The tone at the other end sounds annoyed, but he knows she's smiling. "Detective Lions to you. We are in working hours."

"That's not cool."

"No, it's ice-cold."

_As fun as this is, care to let me say my greetings._

"Hey, Paula, passing you over to the other guy." Feeling how he loses control over his body, Jin "watches" as the other takes control, speaking with a voice much more deeper than his. "Hello, detective. Pleasure to speak to you again."

She drops the annoyed act. She only acts like an asshole to him, the other guy and her were always super nice to each other. Which is unfair as fuck. "Hello, Count. It's been way too long."

"Indeed. A lot of changes are to be commented. Including how the kid finally got a girlf-" Jin instantly takes over, but the damage is done.

"My my my~ Our eternal man-whore is finally settling down! I'm almost proud."

"Call you after I change my clothes. Meanwhile, you can fuck off." He hangs up. "Asshole."

 _My pleasure_.

His phone rings again. With a sigh, he picks it up.

"Hey, asshole, thought you would like some basic info before starting to play dress-up."

"Fuck you, but sure, go ahead." He starts the car, which comes to life which an ever-so-satisfying roar.

"Guy has a nick for taking people's faces off. He's on his third victim so far."

"What a charming guy. And are you generalizing, or using 'he' because you have proof of his gender?"

He keeps talking with her, focused on constructing a profile while the Count takes note of every detail mentioned.

Despite having his mind on work, Jin keeps a small spot of it on Kat. Always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiiiiii! :3
> 
> I'm very sleepy and meant to post this yesterday, but long long story short... uh... I was occupied with other things. Yay. We'll run with that.
> 
> I figured I'd post this now before I just forgot to. Oops. I've done that before. But like yeah! Fun stuff!
> 
> Comments and Kudos are always appreciated! Thank you guys so much for coming by and reading this! ~Taba
> 
> I feel like listening to dumb music...
> 
> BUT I WOULD WALK 500 MILES  
> AND I WOULD WALK 500 MORE  
> JUST TO BE THE MAN WHO WALKED A THOUSAND MILES  
> TO FALL DOWN AT YOUR DOOR
> 
> Mood: The 80s.~Faggot


	17. Logan Needs a Good Fuck

I wake up as soon as Jin moves, but I keep my breath steady and eyes closed so he doesn’t feel bad for waking me. When he leaves the room, my eyes open and I look at Pops. We both wait until we hear the front door closed, Pops probably having the same idea as me.

As soon as the door closes, I look at Pops, petting Dresden, who’s laying in my lap, and both Taco and Crookshanks, who are in my left. “So, Jin never really answered completely, but did you two use protection?”

“Pops…” I sigh. “You already know I’m on the pill cause of that one instance.” A frown tugs on my lips. “I guess I should tell Jin that. Although…” I pat my pockets and pull out a pill with a laugh. “It seems he had everything covered.”

Pops blinks and eyes me. “So he didn’t know you were on birth control, and didn’t…” He waves his hand to elaborate without saying the words.

“He didn’t what, daddy-o?” I grin at him.

“You know…” His cheeks turn a bit rosey, obviously not wanting to have this talk with his 21 year old daughter.

“He was careful, sweet, loving, no, he didn’t put on any protection but I feel like we both just forgot about that.” I laugh a bit. 

Pops tsks. “You need to be more careful.”

“Or what? I’ll be you and mom when you accidentally made to scrawny monkey?”

“It’s scrawny chicken man, you disappointment.” Logan enters the room.

“Speak of the devil!” I grin at him.

“Ew, you’re happy.” He teases.

“Leave her alone. She’s rarely happy. She got some dick.” Pops chuckles. “Of course she’s happy.”

My cheeks flush and I let out a groan.

“Oh, yeah.” Logan chuckles. “I could’ve had that dick though.” He pouts a bit.

My eyebrow quirks. “Oh?”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe it’d get the stick out of your ass.” I smile sweetly.

Logan face turns red and he crosses his arms. “I’m not lying! Jin said he’d fuck me if he’d met me first.”

“Mhmm…” I say, not really paying attention.

“We probably would’ve gotten into a relationship too. Cause I’m great, and not a fucking depressed and anxious mess like you.” I know he’s teasing but it still hurts. “He’d love me more, and we’d be the cutest fucking couple.”

My heart aches. “You’re probably right… think I should break up with him so he’d be in better hands..?” I let out a humorless laugh, eyes downcast, no more happiness in my body. “That’d probably be best, huh..?” I sigh and look up at Logan with a smile. “I can do that for you if you want, Logan. If that’s what you really want.”

He stares at me for a whole minute before speaking. “It was a joke.”

“Was it?” My voice is soft.

We stare at each other for a few uncomfortable minutes before Pops speaks up. “Do we need to find you a hot date, Logan?”

The dysfunctional condoms face turns red. “N-No!”

“Maybe it’ll make him stop lusting over a taken man.” I say, propping my chin up with a hand lazily.

Pops grins. “Yeah, and I think I have the perfect shirt for him.”

Out of nowhere, it seems, Pops pulls a shirt that reads: “SINGLE AND READY TO PRINGLE!” on it. I snort at the shirt. “It’s perfection Pops.”

He grins and tosses it at Logan. I watch the shirt fly into his arms before blinking, petting Dresden who purrs loudly. “How did the vet visit go?”

Logan’s face turns serious and sad. “I…”

I feel my heart seize up, fearing the worst for the kitty in my lap. “What was it Logan?”

“He… He’s fine for the next month… They’re not sure if he’ll…” Logan shakes his head.

“They don’t think he’ll make it past a month..?”

“They don’t.”

I stare at him for a while and he stares back.

“Are you lying..?” I finally say.

Logan’s eyes widen. “How do you always know..?”

“Call it sisterly intuition.” I shake my head and sigh. “He’s only got like one to two weeks, huh..?”

“Katrina… God… Yeah…” Logan scratches the back of his head.

“Well…” I take a deep breath. “I guess I’ll hafta make his last few weeks memorable.” I smile warmly to the kitty in my lap who meows at me.

If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t be able to tell he’s ill. It’s nothing anyone can even change either. It’s a flutter in his heart, or something along those lines.

I lost my first cat to the same thing.

Dresden is so much younger than that cat.

He’s going to die so young.

Without his brother and sister.

Tears start to well up in my eyes and I rub them away. “Fuck. Well, we can take him out for a walk, I’ve been meaning to do that more, since he loves it. We can find your hottie that way, too.”

Pops sends me a worried look as I cradle the baby in my hands and he nuzzles my cheek. I get his leash and harness before fitting it around the cat. He seems so energetic.

Fuck.

I set him down and Logan begrudgingly pulls on the shirt, and we both put on shoes. Then we’re off.

Out the door we go, Dresden happily leading the way, watching the world with almost wonder in his eyes.

We’re walking for a good ten minutes before we get into town where Logan will be more easily seen.

It’s pretty fruitless.

Well, it’s not completely fruitless.

Dresden got some treats from a local pet shop and Logan got me ice cream as an apology for what he has said.

I told him to shove it up his ass and it’ll make him feel better.

He didn’t take that well, and I have melted ice cream in my hair.

Well, I’m currently sitting down, Dresden napping in my lap as Logan chats with someone he knows. I feel sticky, sweaty, and gross, but I don’t want to bother Logan.

He keeps the conversation up and his friend says: “Hey, wanna come over and play video games?”

 _He’s going to say yes. Great. I get to walk home alone…_ I stand up, setting Dresden down in the ground, starting back home.

“Yea-” Logan stops as he spots me. “Shit, no. I can’t today, man. My lil sis is here.”

“The fuck is all over her hair? Shit?” I hear the sneer in his friend’s voice.

“Chocolate ice cream. That was my fault.” Logan sighs.

“You should really come hang out. Forget that loser.”

“She’s my little sister! The fuck do you mean ‘Forget that loser’?” Logan’s mad. “She’s my loser, and only I can call her that, you dick.”

There’s a slam of a car door and my brother walks up beside me. “Hey, so-”

“Why didn’t you just go with him?” I ask, my voice soft.

“I need to take care of you.” He eyes me.

“Do you want to, or are you doing it because that’s what you need to do?” My eyes meet his, gaze cold. “You don’t ever hafta be around me if you don’t want to, Logan. I can take care of myself. I’m a big girl.”

His eyes look at me and he nods. “You are, and I know you can protect yourself. I have no doubt.” He reaches up and pats my back. “But I wanna be here and hang out with my cool sister!” Logan smiles brightly.

I laugh a bit, and we walk back home, chatting casually about things. The breeze comes by and ruffles my hair a bit and it smells fresh. I can hear the tree leaves rustling if I listen hard enough. It’s so calming outside.

All too soon, we’re home. We walk in and I hand the leash to Logan before going upstairs and hopping into the shower for the second time today.

_It’s kinda lonely without Jin._

Did I really just… Oh god.

My cheeks flush red as I leave the bathroom, brushing through my hair and then throwing it up into a bun. I walk downstairs and sit in the couch, next to Pops. “Are you leaving tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” He says. “But I’ll be back in a few weeks. With a new puppy!”

I smile warmly. “Did they already leave?”

“Mhmm. Phe said to tell you and Jin she said Bye bye and that she’ll miss you two. And that he better not propose while she’s not here.” He winks at me.

I snort. “Don’t worry, I doubt that’s happening anytime soon.”

“You never know, princess.”

We sit and watch a movie, Dresden laying in my lap, and I don’t stop petting him. I think at one point I fall asleep.

When I wake up again, it seems to be nighttime but it could also be just someone turned the lights off. But I think it’s night.

There’s a box of pizza in front of me and I pick it up, eating what’s left of the greasy circle of heaven.

Dresden is still on my lap but shifts a bit and gets off of it when I lean over a bit too much. “Sorry baby.” I mutter and kiss the top of his head.

I get up and stretch, noticing that it's dark outside. “Becoming night then…” I say with a yawn. “So I won’t sleep tonight. Fun.”

There’s a note of the fridge that tells me Logan is out with a friend and Pops had left to start his trip home. There’s a stab of pain that I didn’t say bye to him so I promise myself that I’ll call him tomorrow.

With a soft hum to myself, I walk back to the couch and am about to settle down on it when there’s a knock on the door. I grunt and walk over, opening it up, rubbing an eye. “This is Katrina’s torture house of happiness, what do you need…?” I mutter drily, not looking at who it is. “If you are looking for a body, just tell me all the information you know about it and I’ll try to find you a good match from the back. I can’t promise it’ll look pretty. If you want to buy torture equipment, that’s not here because I lied. This is just a regular house, and since you’re still here you’re obviously not a door to door salesman. Though I’m not sure why they would be out at this time.”

"My, quite an inconvenience. I was hoping to buy some spanking-related material." I look up and spot Jin, mouth agape because of how hot he looks. He smiles tiredly. "Hey, Kat, not that I mind you staring but you could let me pass first."

There’s a sharp intake of breath and I quickly move to the side to let him in, cheeks on fire, mouth snapped shut so I don’t accidentally say anything. God, he’s wearing a white shirt with a huge black duster, black shoes, and black boots. Looks like some edgy bullshit and I love it. _FUCK. ME. I DIDN’T FUCKING REALLLIZE HE COULD LOOK HOTTER THAN HE ALREADDDYYYY DOOESSSSSSSSSS! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! But he looks tired. Poor baby._

I shut the door behind him as he walks in a plops down on the couch. “Sorry about that… You just… You’re really fucking hot. Christ.” I pause and look at him again. “You okay…?”

"I'm fine. Just been talking about depressing stuff." He frowns. "Wait that doesn't sound right. It's depressing stuff, but I have a lot of fun talking about it with my boss and my partner. It's just that it's tiring as hell." He runs a hand through his hair with a yawn.

“Aw, I’m sorry, baby.” I walk over and sit down beside him. “Anything I can do to help?” My head tilts to the side.

"Just sleep by my side." He scratches the back of his head. "Sorry for coming over so late, by the way. I just thought it would be within my rights as boyfriend to be able to come to my girlfriend whenever I felt like it. Wait... Is that a right I have? Do I even gain rights as a boyfriend? Is there any book I can read about this stuff? This is really confusing."

A warm smile comes across my face and I lean my head against his shoulder. “Mm. Every relationship would be different, but yeah, you can come by whenever. I don’t mind.” I laugh a bit. “There probably is a book you can read on it, but I doubt it helps in the long run.”

"Shit. It's really confusing to get involved in things I haven't read about."

“You’re… so fucking precious.” A giggle escapes me, and I gently take on of his hands in my own. “It is. It’s also kinda terrifying. But it’s a learning thing. Something you kinda hafta figure out yourself. But, that’s the reason there’s at least two people in a relationship. You can figure it out together. Or some cheesy shit like that.” I laugh again.

He laughs. "Guess you're right. Hey, you can be my senpai in that regard!"

I groan. “Ugh. I’m even more inexperienced than you, cutie… well… I was. Not really anymore.” My cheeks redden and I laugh a bit, awkwardly. “Oh! Phedra wanted Pops to tell me to tell you that she said goodbye. And that you can’t propose until she comes back, which will e about Christmas time.” I grin and look at him.

He tilts his head to the side. "Wait, I have to be the one proposing? Can't it be the other way around? Is it like a tradition or something?"

“Well, either one of us could. But I doubt I have the guts to do it.” I laugh softly and scratch my cheek. “Maybe I will. Just depends… Ah, sorry.” I shoot him an apologetic look. “I hope that’s not like putting a lotta pressure on you… oh jeez, maybe Logan was right…” I mutter the last part.

He frowns. "Right? Right about what?"

“Uh… Don’t worry about it. It’s nothing.” I smile, but it fades away too quickly. “Just a silly little joke that hit me a bit too hard. Don't worry your pretty little head about it.”

"Kat." He looks very serious. "What happened?"

My teeth pull at my bottom lip and I let out a small sigh, wrapping my arms around myself. “Just. He jokingly remarked that you two would make a better couple than we ever would. He was just kidding and I mean I was joking around with him to. Don’t worry about it, though. We cleared up the air, everything is fine.” I smile a bit.

"Very well then. I shall sleep now." I sigh, relieved. "Then, I'll murder Logan in the morning. Probably eat pasta in the afternoon." He nods to himself. "Sounds like a good plan."

“Please don’t… I was trying to find him someone, preferably a male since he seems to want a dick in his life, but I don’t know where to look.” I laugh a bit and lean back, rubbing my eyes. 

"Oh, I know someone that could work. He's as much of an asshole. That, however, will wait until morning. You need cuddles and sleep." Jin says, looking at me.

I smile a bit. “I’ve been sleeping quite a bit today. I feel like I need to do something productive. But I feel like you need cuddles and sleep, not me.” I yawn loudly. “Mmmm… Do we even want two assholes inna relationship together? I feel like that’s a recipe for disaster.”

He shrugs. "Probably. But honestly, I don't give a fuck. Which is, by the way, precisely what those two need."

I let out a little laugh, putting a hand over my mouth. “Well, seems like a perfect match then.” With a grunt, I stand up and offer a hand to Jin. “Anyways, bed?”

He smirks. "Thought you would never ask." He takes my hand and let's me help him stand up. Tho, he basically does it by himself. The kind little shit just wants me to feel useful. 

I hold his hand and we walk upstairs to my room. The cats follow us up and I let them into my room, along with pulling Jin into my room. I leave the door open. The cats settle down on my bed without much fuss, leaving a spot for Jin and I to sleep. I pull off most of my clothing, pulling on some pajamas.

I settle down first, Taco and Crookshanks pressed against my back, Dresden laying neck to my head. Jin slips into my bed beside me, and I pull him against me and nuzzle his cheek. “Oh, by the way, you don’t need to worry about kids.” I yawn a bit and nuzzle his hair. “I’m on the pill, cause of reasons I’ll tell you later. But don’t worry about kids. It’s very unlikely to happen.” Dresden stretches, gently kneading his paws against my head. “I probably should’ve told you sooner. But at least I remembered to tell you.”

"That's a relief." I then notice something peculiar. He's gotten into bed with all the clothes still on.

I quirk an eyebrow. "Jin, why are you still like that?"

He smiles tiredly. "Well, since I was gone for so long, I decided to give you a present. Voila! You get to undress your sexy boyfriend."

With a laugh I rest my forehead against his. “Are you sure you’re not just offering this because you’re too lazy to undress yourself?” As I’m saying it I pull off his duster carefully, and haphazardly toss it to the side, not really having anywhere else to put it.

Which falls to the ground pretty nearby with a "BUMP." I blink and stare at it, realizing how heavy the thing had felt.

"Jin, sweetie, how much does that thing weight?"

"By itself? Almost nothing. With all the crap I have in it? More than ten kilos. That's around 22 pounds." He rolls his shoulders.

I look at him confused before carefully pulling his vest off and then pulling his shirt over his head. “And what exactly do you need 22 pounds worth… actually, you know what? You do you babe. I’m not gonna ask.” I purse my lips a bit. “Wanna massage though? Your like back and shoulders can’t feel good carrying all that weight around.”

"Actually..." He signals to the boots, which he had already taken off before going to bed. "It's 33 pounds. And don't worry, doesn't hurt in the slightest. I can carry way more than that. That said, I never say no to a massage from a beautiful woman, so, how could I deny it from the most beautiful?"

My cheeks redden and I laugh. “Should I find you a beautiful woman then? Cause I don’t wanna get up… so do you mind if I do it instead?”

"Oh, c'mon. You know you're the most beautiful to me. Also, if you really want to give me a massage, then, sure go ahead."

“Pfft, yeah right, I’m ugly as fuck, Jin.” He turns over so his back is towards me and I carefully start working through the knots in his back, having done this a lot for my mom and a few friends. “But at least I can do things that make me useful so you at least wanna stay.”

"Dummy." His tone is relaxed and he has his eyes closed, a content expression on his face. "All you have to do for me to want to be with you is being yourself."

My cheeks flush as I continue to work along his back, being gentle because of his scars but making sure to work the knots out of his back. “Mm. Being myself isn’t fun. I’m not a fun person, I’m pretty boring.” I hum softly as I work through the knots. “So I need ta seem like I’m something special so people stay.” My voice is soft.

"But you're special. You're you."

I laugh again and press a kiss to his back gently before moving my hands to his lower back. “Mm. I’m not much of anything. Just a human being. Nothing special. But thanks for thinking I’m more special than I am.”

He stays quiet and I start to notice my hands slowly inching lower down his back. _Do not grab his ass. I repeat, do not grab his ass. It may look all nice and shit, but I don’t know how much he’s enjoy it._

Instead of grabbing his ass, my hand trail upwards and I start to tickle him, grinning. He lets out a noise of surprise, a mix of a squeak and a yelp, before melting into laughter. His feet start to kick and I’m quick to wrap my own legs around his to hold them in place as I tickle him. His hands are quick to grab mine, and I pout and he holds my wrists hostage. “Babbeeeeeee.” I whine. “I need my handsss!”

He turns his head to look at me. “Why?”

I pout. “You’re still too dressed for bed. I mean I’m sure I could take off your pants with my feet if I was coordinated enough, but I would prefer to use my hands.”

"Now now, Kat. Isn't that an excuse to grab something you've been eyeing for awhile?~" He asks with a devilish smirk.

 

My cheeks flare up with color and I glare at him. “I. No! You fucking dick! No! I… FUCK IT!” With about three very quick motions I get his pants off his legs and huff loudly, and Jin turns back towards me, my hands still in his grip and he’s laughing like a fucking prick. “Fuck you.”

"That can be done. I'm almost naked anyway." And he winks at me.

“You need sleep, you little shit.” There’s concern in my voice along with the annoyance. 

"I'd rather have you.~"

“You already have me, babe.” My voice is soft and I smile warmly at him. “You already have me.”

"Oh, don't get all romantic. You know what I'm talking about, you asshole." Jin is playfully annoyed.

“Still, you already have me. I’m right here.” My eyebrows wiggle. “All you hafta do is take off my shirt and shorts and I’m all yours, baby. Well, and your boxers.”

He smiles widely. "Only because you asked nicely." He kisses me and let's go of my wrists, his hands moving over to my clothes.

Oh boy. Here we go again. I feel the cats move and hear them walk out of the room, just knowing that something is gonna happen where they shouldn’t be around for. I’m sorry kitties!

 _...Bah, who am I trying to convince? They can fuck off. I will fuck on, thank you very much._ My arms wrap around Jin’s neck as our lips meet in a passionate kiss.

-~-~-~

Kat wakes up. He's been awake for a while now. As much fun as it was seeing the cutie sleep, Jin had decided to do something useful for once. First, putting some skin cream on the scars. Second put some pants on (after finding his underwear, which turned to have been thrown to the other side of the room). Third, work out.

He had been keeping a more or less strict exercise regime for years. Since he had left the old man's house and came to the city, he had been way less strict with exercise however, due to finding more activities to invest time in. But he still liked doing it.

Kat had woken up while he was starting with pushups. He had just started a series with both arms, after which he planned on doing one with each.

She looks at him curiously while he does that. A strange expression crosses her face and she approaches him. Then, she sits on his upper back. Jin stops.

"What are you doing?"

He can hear the smartass smile. "Oh, just seeing if the theory I formed yesterday was correct. Namely if you have unlimited stamina." That said, she raises her legs and sits legs crossed over him. His arms don't shake in the slightest and he smiles. He has always liked challenges.

It's a bit difficult, but she manages to remain on him even when he's only using one hand. She even let's out a surprised "this is surprisingly comfortable" the asshole. Jin does every series maintaining a steady pace, even if the added weight makes it harder. At the end, he's sweating way more than without extra weight and his breath is a bit faster.

He smirks. Payback time. Suddenly, he raises his lower half. Kat let's out a shriek and gets off him, while he ends up in a perfect vertical, standing on his hands.

"Jerk." She pours. "You could have just told me to get off."

He smirks even more, and starts the same series he just did, Kat watching intently.

Afterwards, he does some stretching exercises, returning his breath to normal and making sure no muscles will ache.

She applauds him. "Bravo. How much does a striptease cost?"

"A polite petition.~"

She snorts. "Good to know."

Jin feels a few a few sweat drops on his face. "Hey, I can borrow the shower, right?"

She quirks an eyebrow. "What if I like you all sweaty and wet?~"

His turn to snort. "Yeah, I doubt that."

She approaches him with a devilish smile. HOLY FUCKING SHIT. DID SHE JUST LICK HIS NECK?

He stares at her. "Did you just do that...?"

She stares back. "I did...?" She suddenly blushes brightly. Rushing to a wardrobe, she throws a towel over him and pushes him out of the bedroom. "YOUKNOWWHERETHEBATHROOMISBYE!"

Jin finds himself blinking at the door. He mutters. "What... What just happened?"

_Personally, I blame sexual taboos for creating such a repressed need._

WHAT.

\---

My cheeks are on fire, and I slide down the back of the door, screaming into my hands.

 _I DID THAT! WHY DID I DO THAT! OH GOD WHY THE FUCK DID I DO THAT? AAAA FUCK ME! WHY?_ I pause and lick my lips. _JESUS AM I JUST A FREAKING LIKE… DO I JUST… UGH! I need to apologizeeeee…_

I groan into my hands and stand back up, walking over to my closet and staring at it for a bit. I then grab my phone and check the weather. It’s supposed to be cooler so I grab some jeans and a long sleeved striped shirt. I look down after pulling it on and my cheeks turn red. _God damnit…_ I pull off that shirt and pull on a baby pink one that covers my chest better. It doesn’t look great on me but it’ll do. I eye myself in the mirror and feel my eye twitch before grabbing a scarf to cover my neck. _You’re a double asshole now Jin… I told you not to bite._

I’m changing the sheets by the time Jin returns to the room, toweling his hair dry. We both stare at each other for a minute and then my cheeks flare red and I sprint out of the room, going downstairs to feed the kitties. 

Jin laughs and it grows fainter the furth I get from him. It's barely audible by the time I get to the kitchen. After I’m done with that my phone pings and I pull it out of my pocket, eyeing it.

“ _Tabby and I are gonna be at my coffee shop to hang out. Youuuu should come because we wanna hear all about you and loverboy~_ ”

It’s from Sarah.

I reply with a fine before turning around, walking out of the kitchen, planning to tell Jin. I instead run head first into his chest and stagger backwards. Jin’s arms are quick to wrap around me and pull me snug against him. “You okay?”

“Peachy.” I say with a smile. “Are you gonna go find your friend?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, my friends are wanting me to go and be a regular female who gushes about her boyfriend to her friends.” I blink. “At Sarah’s coffee shop…” A laugh escapes me. “Christ.”

Jin chuckles and kisses my forehead, arms still wrapped around me. “I’ll find you once I’ve talked to him, ta introduce you guys so you can tell if he’ll be a good fit for your brother.”

I smile warmly and shove my phone in my pocket before throwing my arms over his shoulders. “Sounds good.” I step up on my tip toes and press a warm kiss against him lips, his arms tightening around me and almost crushing me against him.

We separate and I giggle softly, Jin just smiling. We take a step away from each other before I walk past him and to the front door. “Seeya inna bit then.” I wave to him and open and shut the door, walking to my car.

I step into my car with a small sigh and a bit of a pang in my chest, before pulling out of the driveway and into the street, driving off to Sarah’s coffee shop.

When I get there I escape into the building and look at the two of them. They’re both grinning at me. A cup of coffee sits at the empty chair between them and I sit down on it, eyeing them.

“So, what happened?” Tabby wiggles her eyebrows.

“When?”

“Since we last saw you.”

“Well, we went on the date it went well. We had a conversation that wasn’t the most pleasant when we go to his house and I left cause he wanted to be alone.” I yawn and rub my face. “So then he got a hotel the we just hung out in for the day. Went home after that…” My cheeks burn.

“Annndddd?~” Sarah leans close.

My cheeks burn even more and I drink the coffee. “And what?”

Tabby reaches over and tugs the scarf so it comes off. Tabby gasps and Sarah eyes her. “AWWWWW!” She presses a finger to my neck right where a hickey rests, making my cheeks turn red. “They did fuck!”

Sarah also eyes my neck, and grins, poking the other side of my neck. “Unless those were just from other thinggss~ Passionate make outs.~”

My cheeks flush even more and Tabby eyes me. “You never wear that shirt, Kat.”

“Your point?” My voice quivers.

“You must be hiding something else~” Sarah grins.

“If I am?”

“What isss it?~”

My cheeks turn redder and I chug the coffee. “Nothing. Just decided I wanted to wear this shirt.”

They both stay silent and look at each other. “Where is Jin?” Sarah asks.

“Talking with a friend we’re gonna hook up with Logan. He said he’ll be over once he’s talked with said friend.” I rub my eyes and lean back.

They look at me. “He’ll give more interesting answers to questions than you will. So I guesss we’ll wait to question him then.” Tabby smiles brightly.

“We fucked, yes… A lot…” My cheeks heat up even more.

“A lot?” Tabby questions.

I just nod and they both start to giggle. Then laugh. Then pat me on the back congratulatory. “Good for you!” Sarah says.

“Oh shut up. Just cause I’m the last one to get into a real relationship and end up having sexual intercourse with someone doesn’t mean you hafta tease me about it, you assholes.” I puff out my cheeks and cross my arms, looking down.

They both laugh and we delve off the topic and onto the topic of books. By the time Jin comes in with his friend, it’s like we’re gossiping about real people and not fictional characters.

“Alex seriously needs to step up his game if he plans on keeping Sally by his side.” Tabby says in a huff, talking about a book she’s currently reading and I’ve already finished.

“Just wait, it gets better. Everything always gets better with time, right?” I grin at her sipping a fresh cup of coffee.

Sarah laughs, being a bit further into the book than Sarah and understanding what I mean. “Yeah, I mean that one things happens,” she eyes me, “and it was hot as hell.” She grins. “But I still don’t know why he didn’t just use his god damn teleportation thingy! It’s so stupid!” She huffs.

“There’s a reason behind that too.” I say with a laugh.

The door to the shop opens and we all turn. I spot Jin, and smile at him, he smiles back. My gaze flicks over to the other guy he has with him.

The other guy, who I’m assuming is Jin’s friend and not just a random stranger, looks almost annoyed to be here. His hair, which is as black as a raven’s feathers, reaches below his shoulders, probably resting just below his shoulders, judging by the pieces hanging over his shoulders over his chest. His skin is pale, paler than mine, maybe the same as my brothers. We don’t get out that much, and it seems he doesn’t either. Shorter than Jin, and by judging by eye, he’s shorter than me as well, which means he’ll be shorter than Logan. _He likes short men._ The man is about as thin as my brother, but he could also be wearing a corset under his clothes for all I know. His clothes, are much fancier than anyone else’s. A white shirt, white pants, a light blue jacket, that looks like a suit, and a light blue scarf thing. I’m not quite sure what to call it. When my eyes meet his, I find out his are purple. _Fucker. I want purple eyes…_ And he seems to be sporting a RBF of resting bitch face. Condescending and annoyed. _Perfect._

As I scrutinize him, he seems to be doing the same to me and my friends. My friends seems more interested in my boyfriend than the stranger. I sigh softly and push myself up, walking over to the man, smiling warmly to him. _Yep, I’m taller than him. Just a bit though._ “Hi, my name is Katrina, but most people just call me Kat. You are?”

"Hello there." Woah, okay. Polite, but cold as fuck. "My name is Alexander Williams. You may refer to me as such, or as foremost as Alexander."

I'm a bit taken back by his attitude. "I... Well, uh, okay. Nice to meet you..." _Okay Mr. Stick-Up-My-Ass. Keep acting like that and you’ll get the same fucking shit right back. Cunt._

Suddenly, and arm pops around his neck, followed by Jin smiling at me while holding him in a lock. "Hey, no worries about him, Kat. The stick up his ass is the size of his ego. Isn't that riiiiiight~?" And he starts to ruffle Alexander's, until now, Perfect hair.

He struggles uselessly. "Let me go, you imbecile! YOU ARE GIVING ME A BAD IMAGE!"

A smile pulls at my lips and I set my hands on my hips. “No, he’s actually giving you a better image, Mr. Alexander Williams.” My smile warms as my eyes flick over to Jin. “Also hello, beautiful, would you like some hot chocolate or something?”

He lets go of him, and Alexander proceeds to styles his hair back in place, frowning. "Always."

Alexander seems annoyed. "Not that I don't appreciate the company if someone much more polite than yourself, but why did you brought me here, Jin?"

"Oh, right." He points at me. "You're gonna date her brother."

Alexander blinks. "Excuse me, what?!"

Sarah comes by, handing Jin a cup of cocoa, then pulls him over to the table, planning on talking to him about our relationship probably. I watch him go, blinking a bit, waggling my fingers at him before looking at Alexander. “I was told you are in dire need of a good fucking.” His cheeks turn red. “So is my brother. And so he would stop lusting over a taken man,” my thumb jerks behind me at Jin as an explanation, “Jin and I figured that if nothing else, you guys can fuck to get rid of whatever sexual wants you two have.” I shrug a bit, crossing my arms.

"That's...! You...! I...!" He stays silent for a few seconds. "... Do you have a picture of him?"

A grin pulls at my lips and I pull out my phone. I shift my weight onto one hip before scrolling through my photos and pick a picture of my brother. I up the brightness so he can see before showing him the picture. “That’s my brother.”

"Oh, he's cute..."

A laugh is heard from the table and Jin shouts "I heard that!". Alexander's cheeks blossom red.

“Jin, you think he’s cute too. So do shut the fuck up.” I turn to shoot him a glare before turning my phone back to myself and looking at Alexander. “I would say that you could meet him today, but who knows when he’ll be home.” I frown a bit.

"I see. May I give you my contact information? I would rather have this 'date' as soon as possible."

Jin talks again from afar. "Someone is thiiiiiirsty~."

“Of course, Mr. Alexander Williams.” I smile warmly and hand him my phone so he can put his info into it. “Here. I’m going to guess you would like me to pass the information to my brother?”

"If you do so, I would greatly appreciate it. If you don't mind me asking, by the way, what manner of relationship do you and the annoying imbecile there stationed share?”

I quirk an eyebrow. “Why ask me? And not the annoying imbecile?” I rub my neck a bit, suddenly remembering that my scarf is missing. “You’re friends with him, so it’s likely you would trust him more than someone who is practically a stranger to you.”

"Because, if you've known him for more than two minutes, you would know that asking Jin a question is like opening a mysterious box. Anything can happen, except what you would expect. Plus, he would either turn it into mockery towards me or a poor attempt at flirting. I rather ask the polite person." Alexander says, with a sigh.

An unattractive snort escapes me which turns into giggles, making me cover my mouth with a hand. Once I stop giggling I look at Alexander. “Well, you have a point. But sometimes that’s just the funner way to do things.”

He sighs, annoyed. "Would you answer the question?"

I grin. “Which question? The one you asked before or the one you just asked?” _My father would be proud._

His eye starts twitching. "The first one."

“Oh! Silly me.” My grin just widens. “Shocking you couldn’t tell, I feel li-”

“THEY’RE DATING! OH MY GOD KAT!” Sarah finally shouts, as fed up with my bullshit as Alexander seems to be.

“I was just about to tell him.” I pout a bit. “But yeah, we’re dating. I apologize for annoying you.” Instantly I start to rethink my decisions and anxiety tightens my chest. “Hah. Fuck.” I mutter before shoving my phone in my pocket. “I apologize. Jeez.”

"Luckily for you, I've developed immunity to such shenanigans from that idiot..." Suddenly, his expression changes to curious. "Wait, dating? With Jin? As in a relationship?"

I pause and stare at him for a minute. “...what other form of dating is there…? Yeah… a relationship…” I raise an eyebrow. “Why does that… Intrigue you…?”

"He's just not the type to... Well, do that kind of thing. At least, I thought he wasn't. As far as I know, he has never have any interest of that kind." He looks at me, rising an eyebrow. "You must be quite unique to have managed to pull him into a relationship."

I scratch the back of my head and laugh drily. “I’m not unique. Just your average everyday person. Who hates herself.” I mutter the last part. “But I guess you’d hafta talk to Jin to figure out why he did it.” I smile, voice returning to a normal level, acting like the muttered sentence never came out of my mouth in the first place.

"If you say so... Nevertheless, if there's nothing for me to do here, perhaps I should leave."

“Perhaps.” There's a short pause before I look at him. “Would you like something to drink? Just figured I’d offer.” I scratch my cheek a bit.

"Oh. Alright. Wouldn't be polite to refuse." And the condescending tone of earlier returns. "Albeit, do not expect me to let you pay for it."

I laugh. “Too bad. What would you like?” I pause before adding “This is my friend’s business, one with the blonde hair. Which is why nobody else is here. I just hafta make whatever your cold heart so desires. Unless you don’t want anything.” I stretch my arms above my head. “Cause never do things for the sake of being polite, if you don’t want to do them. Fucks up your life. Though you probably already know that.”

"Rather live up to my own choices, thank you. I will take a tea."

I shoot him a warm smile before vaulting myself over the counter, landing perfectly on the other side, and set about to making him some tea in a to-go cup. It doesn’t take too long and I hand it back to him, setting the cash to pay for it in the register for Sarah. “There you are, Mr. Alexander Williams.”

He frowns and then sighs. "Let's leave it as Alexander. You're polite enough to be of my liking." I hear a snicker. "Unlike you, rude brat."

Jin shrugs.

“Alright, Mr. Alexander.” I say with a smile. “Also, he’s not a rude brat. He’s a fucking asshole.” Those words hold a lot of love in them, my voice also joking, and my smile is warm.

"Yeah, right, you may change your mind about that soon."

I laugh softly and smile at Alexander. “Oh? Why’s that, good sir?”

"Drop the sir as well, if you please. And I'm sorry, but, like a good book, the funny part is not to be spoiled." He smiles slightly.

"Careful, your face may crack!" Says Jin laughing.

The smile drops, which causes me to frown. “Aww, he has a nice smile, Jin. Why’d you hafta be an ass about it?” I pout, looking at him, cradling my head in my hands.

"We both know that yes, I do."

I huff softly before busying myself with making a large cup of coffee for myself, feeling exhaustion start to take over me. I walk back to the table, once the coffee is done and I pay Sarah, and sit down in the empty seat, leaning back and sipping the heavenly caffeine. I’m actually comfortable until Sarah tells Jin, “You know, you should be more careful where you bite Kat.” Which causes me to choke on my coffee and cough, cheeks red.

"Believe me, I was." He says with a casual smile. "That's why you aren't seeing most of them."

Annnnd my face is a tomato.

Annnd Sarah’s face is curious. “If you were so careful, then why leave ones that others would be able to see, unless Kat like hid them?”

Speaking of which, I sneakily pull my scarf off of Tabby’s lap, who is too busy nodding along with Sarah to notice me. I tie the scarf back around my neck, then sip my coffee again, cheeks still on fire but it’s not as bad.

His smile widens. "Let's say, a moment of passion can lead to mistakes. Or great successes, such as this."

AND I’M ONCE AGAIN A TOMATO! ALRIGHT THIS IS FINE!

Sarah grins and laugh. Tabby pouts. “Aww, I thought it was gonna be like in the stories or whatever. Where it’s so like everybody knows she’s taken.” Tabby says in a sad tone, and I just try to disappear from this world.

Alexander then speaks. "Seems like you girls have the same tastes in books as Jin."

Who proceeds to ignore the comment. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not from the stone age."

I look at Alexander. “Sappy romance shit? Seems like something he would read. Fits his personality.”

Tabby sighs. “That’s too bad. Woulda been cute. And made Kat even more flustered.”

"I will keep it in mind for next time. Or times. And I only read that crap for a friend, I hate them."

“Sure Jin.” I hum.

The two girls and Jin continue to talk, me mostly staying silent and being super embarrassed, but I had coffee so it isn’t all that bad.

An hour or so goes by before I get a text from my brother asking me where the fuck I was. “And that’s my cue to leave.” I say softly, standing up.

Jin watches me, quirking an eyebrow. “Leave?”

“Logan just texted and asked me where I was. Meaning he’s home. And probably pissy. Or drunk. Or probably both.” I rub the back of my neck before walking over to the door. “Well, see you all later.” I wave and walk out if the building.

Someone opens the door behind me and then they fall in step beside me. I don’t even have to look to know it’s Jin and Alexander. Nobody speaks, but I figure Jin is going to drop Alexander off and then come to my place. We get to our cars, parked right next to each other, and I unlock mine, stepping into the driver's seat. Alexander gets into the passenger's side of Jin’s car, but Jin walks around and taps on my window. I roll down my window and look at him. “Yes?”

He doesn’t say anything, just leans down and presses a sweet kiss to my lips, which I reciprocate. He pulls away after a minute and we stare at each other. “I’ll see you in a bit.” Jin says softly.

I nod and our lips meet again, this time a quicker kiss, before Jin pulls back with an almost cocky grin, and walks to the driver's side of his car. I roll my window back up, resting my forehead against the steering wheel, pressing my hands to my burning cheeks, a huge smile on my face.

A few minutes pass, Jin having already left, before I start my car and drive home. When I get there, Logan’s passed out on the couch, in a shirt and boxers, and empty bottle of water beside him, along with a half-filled bottle of whiskey.

I shake my head with an amused sigh before grabbing the whiskey and hiding it. I pick the boy up and carry him to his room, laying him down and tucking him in. I leave and then come back with some aspirin and more water, setting it on his nightstand and then walking back downstairs, hearing a knock on the door.

Which I open, smiling warmly at the white-haired asshole I’ve come to love so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to post this yesterday when I finished it. Ooooopssssss. OOOOPPPS! Well, I gues syou guys are just gonna get two chapter today cause like Imma idiot. XD
> 
> Anyways, comment, kudos, fun stuff. ~Exhausted Taba


	18. There has Been a Lotta Fluff. You Should Have Expect This

It’s been about a week since I met Alexander. He and Logan seemed to hit off right away, and they’ve been on three dates, the last one lead to a very fun experience in the bedroom. I had fallen asleep at the time, but they accidentally woke me up so I had to leave because I couldn’t fall back asleep. Luckily, I was able to just stay over at Jin’s house and sleep next to him. Without any fun stuff because we were both tired.

When I had gotten home the next morning Alexander seemed to have felt bad, but it didn’t show much, and Logan apologized, he didn’t think I was home. Which makes sense cause I had spent the day with Jin but came back home to finish a few projects and clean the house some. I just shrugged and told him to just be more careful next time.

Now, here we are, two days after the fact. Logan and Alexander are out on a date somewhere. Again. Jin was busy with work, I think police stuff. Tabby is with her fiance, and Sarah is planning on coming over in about five hours.

I’m just going about my day, headphones in, cleaning up the house more, when I realize none of my cats are around me. _Odd… They normally follow me around all the time._ I shrug it off and finish the last of the dishes before going to find them.

I’m glad I did.

After I stop my music and dry off my hands I search around the house for the three babies. I can’t find them anywhere. Panic seizes my heart in it’s cold grasp and my movements quicken, moving to the basement, where they rarely go. I go down the steps and flick on the light.

My heart feels like it’s ripped out of my chest and I stumble down the last few steps before falling to the ground between two cats and in front of the other.

A small black cat with white tipped paws and a white tipped tail.

Not moving.

Not breathing.

His eyes are shut…

He looks like he’s in peace…

I let out a strangled sob and sit in a shocked silence. Brokenly I call out, “Dr-D-Dresden..?” I know calling to him is futile.

Taco rubs her face against my arm, letting out a pitiful mew, Crookshanks letting out a whimper. Tears stream down my face like a fountain as I watch my poor baby, just laying there, dead.

I reach out to pet him, but I can’t move. My head is empty, my body only feeling the sadness. The pain. Everything hurts.

It’s maybe thirty minutes before my body seems to move on it’s own. I stand, knees popping loudly and pick the baby up. I carry him upstairs and set him in a box big enough for him, shutting the top. My breath hitches as I carry the box out out to the freezer in the garage, storing it in there so his body would be preserved until we were ready to bury him.

When I enter the house again, I barely make it to the couch before collapsing, leaning back and staring at the ceiling at nothing.

I feel Taco and Crookshanks both curl up into my lap, and one of my hands goes on each of their backs. They seem as sad as I am. Tears still trickle down my face, as I stare off into nothingness. My mind empty and pain overriding every other feeling.

I sit like that for hours.

~~~

(Sarah’s POV)

When I check the time, it reads 4:45. _I should get going! I’ll be a bit early, but that’s okay!_

Within a few minutes, I get out to my car and drive to Kat’s house. It doesn’t take too long, and I pull into the driveway. There’s a skip in my step and I walk to the front door, hoping for a good relaxing day or just hanging out. And a lot of teasing.

But when I knock on the door, there’s no response. I don’t even hear the cats coming up and scratching at the door like they tend to do.

I knock again.

Nothing.

Again.

Nothing.

Again.

Nothing.

Finally, I pull the small safe box out from under a bush and tap in the code. I take the key out and unlock the door before returning it to it’s position.

As I open the door, I spot Kat. I let out a sigh in relief, closing the door. She’s staring at the TV, so sh…

The TV isn’t on.

She’s not blinking. She didn’t even look over when I opened the door.

Where is Dresden…?

WHERE IS DRESDEN?!

He’s the closest one to her and he’s always there… “oh no…” I softly say, before going over to Kat.

I go to touch her but then decide against it, pulling out my phone to call Logan. He picks up after a few rings and sounds annoyed. “What?”

“Kat… I think she’s having a really really really bad attack. She's not blinking and just staring. Can you come over? I don’t know how to help her…” My voice shakes.

“Fuck!” I hear him slam his hand against something and another voice telling him to calm down. “We’re out of town at the moment.” The next thing he says is muffled but I can make out: “Alex, Kat’s having an attack” but that’s all I hear. Logan’s voice becomes less muffled. “We’ll be there in two hours. Call Jin. He should be close by. Hopefully…”

“O-Okay. I… Anything I should do between the time I call Jin and he gets here?”

“Don’t… Don’t touch her. You may have been friends for a long time, you’re her closest friend, but if you touch her, she’s going to freak out. Yeah, she’ll ‘wake up’ but it’ll be worse.” Logan sighs and I hear the same voice talk to him.

“Okay, okay.” I say, letting out a breath.

“Sarah, fucking call Jin.”

I hang up the phone on him, and then realize that that was kind of a mistake, cause I don’t have Jin’s number. I set my phone down and spot Kat’s on the kitchen counter. With a few long strides, I pick it up, unlock it knowing her password in case of emergencies, and scrolling through her contacts to find Jin. I don’t find him at first but when I look back through, I realize that she’s named him “Annoying White-Haired Asshole.” I laugh a bit at that, moving to the doorway of the kitchen and then hitting the call button.

My foot taps as I wait for him to pick up, my eyes trained on Kat, making sure she hasn’t moved.

She hasn’t, but she’s still breathing.

\---

Jin rolls his right shoulder. Ouch. Okay, no sudden movements.

_WHAT THE BLAZES ARE YOU DOING?! YOU'VE BEEN STABBED, GO BACK TO THE HOSPITAL!_

"Nah." He unlocks the car and enters. "Plus, getting down here from the third floor was already hard. I ain't climbing back up."

The voice sighs. _I understand how you feel, but you are in no condition to-_

"I got patched up. That's good enough for the get-go." He starts the car and drives out of the hospital.

_But-_

 

"She needs help." He says in a calm tone that accepts no replies. When faced with a stressful situation, Jin's best weapon was adopting a calm and logical mindset.

Dresden had died. The poor adorable, intelligent and pretentious thing had passed so young... If Kat had found him, and chances are she had, then she would be destroyed.

He had asked the nurse and Paula for a few minutes to pray for the poor guy's soul. Which he had done. And then proceeded to dress up and get out by the window.

The journey is silent, his bodiless companion knowing it was useless to try to convince him. He parks in front of Kat's house. Someone is at the door. Sarah.

He hurries to the door and wastes no time in greetings. "How is she?"

Sarah seems to be about to break the fuck down but resists and talks with a calm voice. "She's in front of the TV. Just staring, not moving." Damn. She was strong.

Jin nods and enters the house, Sarah closing the door behind him.

There she is. Like that time in the bathroom with her mother. But worse. Way worse.

He kneels in front of her and grasps her hands softly. The kitties are on her lap, looking almost as lost and broken as Kat herself. Taco nuzzles against his hand weakly and gives him a soft meow. The other kittie only stares at him.

He looks at those beautiful, lost and sad eyes. They aren't looking anywhere. She's very far away. He speaks softly, barely a whisper. "Hey, Kat. I'm here. I'm here, okay? I know it hurts. It hurts so much. But we are here, for you."

He keeps talking, kneeled and holding her hands, the cats staring at him. The shoulder burns but he ignores it. There's something much more important. Hours pass.

The door opens again, and he hears Sarah talking with someone else. After a few seconds, she starts crying, sound soon muffled as someone takes her to the kitchen.

Logan comes in. Without a word, he moves to the side and leaves one of her hands free for him. In the same silence, Logan kneels and grasps the hand.

They both stay like this for a bit. Logan breaks the silence softly. "Take a break. You probably need it."

Jin nods. Logan probably needs to talk with her too. Even if she isn't listening. He lets go of her hand and pets the kitties, which respond with soft and tired meows.

He goes to the kitchen, considering grabbing some ice for his shoulder. There, he finds Sarah with her eyes reddened and marks of tears on her face. Alexander is finishing preparing some glasses of tea. He picks one and brings it to her, surprisingly smiling reassuringly. Huh. Jin knew he was pretty as heck, but it's the first time he realizes... He was surprisingly beautiful when he smiled. Alexander puts the glass in front of her and strokes her hair, talking on a polite tone. Okay, this is new. "Here you go, darling. Careful, it's still hot."

Sarah nods weakly. "Thanks..." She smiles a bit. "No-Not as hot as you, se-sexy." Damn, this girl. She was really strong.

Alexander rolls his eyes and looks at him. "I see your influence is starting to show."

Jin snickers. "Sure, blame that on me, smiley guy."

Alexander rolls his eyes again. And then stares at a spot on his coat.

Oh oh.

Alexander walks up to him and looks him dead in the eye, angry. "Idiot. I can see the stab mark from here. You've just escaped from the hospital, haven't you?"

Jin shrugs. "Maybe? Possibly? Had something to do."

Alexander sighs and shakes his head in disbelief. "Let me look at it later tonight."

 

He was a doctor and it showed.

Jin nods and walks up to the fridge. He grabs a beer and presses it against his shoulder. He sighs, relieved. Fuck, that felt good. After a bit, he opens it a takes a sip. Fuck that felt good.

 

Sarah looks at him. "Aren't you too young to drink?"

"Aren't you too pretty to cry?' And he winks at her. Sarah laughs and Alexander groans.

Huh. Weird. All together like this...

 

It almost felt like a family.

\---

(Back to Kat’s POV)

There’s a voice. A soft voice. Different from the one who was talking before. The words don’t really register but the voice is there. There are so many voices.

Figures have moved in front of my gaze, I barely see them, they’re simply fuzzy splats of color. Textured like a glitch.

The voice continues to speaks and the words finally click with me. It’s not just words. It’s a song.

I blink. Once. Then take a deeper breath than I had been taken. I feel like I’m returning to my body. And someone’s holding my hands. The fingers are long, slender, cold, and soft. By the time I can move my eyes to look at him and focus on his face, Logan’s humming, his eyes shut.

There’s a bit of commotion in the kitchen, but I keep my gaze on my older brother. He finishes the song and opens his eyes to look at me. At first there’s pain, but then it turns to relief when he realizes I’m actually there. “Oh thank god…” He says softly, voice not quite loud enough for anyone else to hear.

I just stare at him, not having the energy or even want to speak. “Kat, god… I thought.” I see tears well up in his eyes and he holds my hands tighter, head resting against my knees as he breaks down into loud sobs.

I let go of one of his hands and rest my free one on his head, gently rubbing the top of it, face blank. A person comes into the room, and I lift my head, locking eyes with Alexander. He stares at me for a moment, blinking a few times before turning to the kitchen and saying something. It’s too soft for me to hear, and his voice is kind of shaking. My heart clenches when I hear a glass bottle and a ceramic mug hit the kitchen counter and then quick footsteps. My gaze returns to my brother, hand gently running through his hair.

Alexander kneels beside Logan and rubs his back, I feel one person sit beside me, another standing to the side probably not sure what exactly to do, and I feel my throat tighten. _Sarah beside me… Probably Jin standing… Alexander and Logan… Fuck… I ruined their date…_

Logan looks up, tears still rolling down his cheeks and gives me a weak smile before turning to Alexander, who cups his face and rubs the tears away. “It’s gonna be okay honey.”

Logan wraps his arms around Alexander, pulling him close and burying his face against Alexander’s shoulder. Alexander’s arms wrap around Logan and rub his back. “Thanks Alex…” Logan says softly, sniffling as his sobs die down.

My hands go to the two kitties in my lap who just lost their brother. "WAIT, ALEX?! HE LET'S YOU CALL HIM AN ALEX?! WHAT THE HELL?! WHERE'S THE COLD ASS BITCH I KNOW?!" That’s Jin’s voice, and he’s definitely standing.

Logan’s head shoots up and glares at where I’m guessing Jin is. “Don’t fucking yell.” Is all he says before resting his head back where is was.

I pet the kitties in my lap, looking down at them. “Kat...?” Sarah’s voice is timid.

My head turns, albeit slowly, towards her and I nod. She waits for a minute before saying, “Kat? Are you there?” I nod again. “Can you not talk?” I nod. “Are you okay?” I shake my head. “What do you need.”

My eyebrows furrow and I look back down at the two cats. My breath hitches and I continue to pet them, eyes downcast. “Do you need a hug?” Sarah asks and I frown and shrug not really knowing. “Kat, hun…” She frowns a bit.

"Time." I hear Jin say. "She needs time, I would say."

My eyes flick upwards and at him, and I nod a bit before returning my gaze back to my two alive cats. My heart feels like it’s being stabbed repeatedly, as there is a lack of my small black cat nuzzling my cheek. _Why did it have to be Dresden…? I… I… He was the closest to me… He was the oldest… And god… These two won’t know what to do without him. They…_ They both look up at me, and I can see it in their eyes. They’re in as much pain as me. It breaks my heart and tears start coming out of my eyes, falling down onto the other baby’s fur like raindrops. The get out of my lap and onto Sarah’s since they don’t like getting wet, and I pull my knees up to my chest, pressing my eyes into my knees as I grossly sob, my entire body shaking.

It doesn’t take long before someone scoops me up in their arms and holds me. My head in pressed against the person’s shoulder a hand gently massaging the back of my head. My arms wrap around the person’s neck, and I sob i to their shoulder which I realize is Jin’s by his scent. My nose picks up on another scent but it’s too faint to really pick up on it and it seems to be coming from his other shoulder. _Smells mildly like… blood…? Maybe…?_

My heart seizes and my head snaps upright. _I instantly regret doing that because I think I got whiplash._ I rub my neck with a hand before gently prodding Jin’s other shoulder with my hand. I end up finding the edge of a bandage pretty quickly. I pull back and stare at Jin’s face, giving him a look that reads: ‘You better fucking tell me what the fuck happened, or else.’

"Oh, that? Fell on a knife. Held by a very angry guy. Trying to stab me." Is all he says as an explanation.

My eyes narrow and I sigh softly before resting my forehead against his uninjured shoulder. “Are you okay?” I hear Sarah ask for me. “Wait, wait.” The cogs in her mind are turning. “Did you go to a hospital? And if you did, did you freaking leave the hospital to come here? If so, you’re an idiot.”

 _I feel the same way Sarah._ I don’t move my head and my hands sit uselessly in my lap for now. Since Jin is carrying me by holding me up under the knees and around my back.

"Yeah yeah... Annoy me all you want, but I ain't going back in there. The beds are shit, the nurses not nearly hot enough and it's difficult to climb down from a window."

My eye twitches. “The nurses don’t need to be hot. They’re there to take care of you and make sure you don’t die.” Sarah says with a huff.

My hands move by themselves and sign: ‘Jin, you’re a fucking dumbass…’ And then I realize he may not know sign language and an annoyed sigh escapes me. _Fucking god dammit._

He looks at me and smirks. "First, of course I'm a dumbass. That's one of the main reason you love me." He looks at Sarah. "Second, it ain't a nurse if it ain't hot. It's someone who wasn't good enough to become a doctor. Like a chiropractor."

A snort escapes me and I shake my head. Sarah frowns at him. “Wow, you really are a dumbass. That or a flirtatious asshole.”

“Both. Definitely both.” My brother says and I sign at the same exact time.

Sarah’s gaze is directed at me now. “How exactly do you handle that? If he’s a flirtatious asshole. Does he flirt with everything?”

‘If he thinks something is cute he’ll say it. It’s annoying as hell, and sometimes gives me anxiety due to the fact that I feel like he thinks that person or thing is cuter or prettier than me and will then turn around and cheat on me or break up with me. But it’s whatever.’ I shrug a bit and rub my eyes with the heels of my palm. ‘More annoying than anything.’

"Hey, you're all painting me in a pretty bad light. I just don't see the point on keeping things to myself. If something is cute, I'll say it's cute. If someone is hot, I'll say they're hot. That said..." He smiles at me. "You'll still be the prettiest and the hottest. I just say it so they can believe in the fact that they're at most second best. Cause, when you're the one taking first place, that's a pretty big compliment."

"Plus, you like being the bad guy because bad guys are cooler." Says Alexander raisin an eyebrow.

"That too."

‘Sure’ I roll my eyes at him before laying my head a bit more comfortably against his uninjured shoulder. ‘You sure I’m first place? And not yourself?’ I blink before turning my gaze to Alexander and Logan who are still sitting on the ground and hugging each other. ‘Wait shit, did I fucking ruin your guy’s date. God dammit. I’m sorry.’

Logan chuckles. “Don’t worry, Kat. I would’ve rather been here with you. A date can be done over, replaced in a way. My little sister, she can’t be replaced.”

Alexander sighs, annoyed. "Still, I expect a compensation of some kind, honey." It's the first time I hear someone saying "honey" in the same tone as an insult.

Jin laughs. "Get a room, you two."

Logan chuckles and lets go of Alexander, standing up. He brushes off his pants and checks the time before scooping Alex up into his arms. “Well, if we’re getting a room here, everyone else might want to leave.” He wiggles his eyebrows.

I make a face at him before stepping out of Jins arms reluctantly to stumble into the kitchen to get a glass of water. The kitties follow me immediately and I hear Sarah move and say, “You may actually want to get her out of the house… Just…” I don’t hear the rest of her sentence but I know what she’s going to say. _Just because she’ll probably sleep better in a different house than the one her cat just died in. And if we don’t get her out of the house now, there’s no telling when she’ll actually leave… But the downside is you would have to take the other two kitties as well cause she’s not likely to sleep without them being there._ I grab a glass of water and walk back out as Sarah finishes her little talk with, “If you don’t want to, I’ll bring her to my place.” I sip my glass of water, sliding down the wall and sitting against it, my cats nuzzling my sides, legs, arms, and free hand.

Jin grabs his chin, a pensive expression on his face. "Probably a good idea, yeah..." He looks at me. "Hey, feeling like sleeping over at my place or Sarah's?"

"I also offer my residence." Says Alexander, still in Logan's arms. "And could you put me down? We both know you can't hold me like this for long."

I shrug, finishing my water and petting Taco. I shift a bit so my knees are pressed to my chest, setting my empty glass down and wrapping my arms around my legs, laying my cheek against my knees.

“I can do whatever I want to.” I hear Logan say.

“Logan, I can see your arms shaking. Put the man down before you drop him.” Sarah says with a sigh.

Logan seems to set Alexander down, and is most likely pouting but I don’t have enough energy to move my head to look. My gaze is directed at the basement where I found my cat dead. The other two kitties nuzzle my legs and Taco manages to prop herself up against my arm and meow in my face, making me lose concentration.

"I agree with the feline." Says Jin.

Sarah raises an eyebrow. "You can understand cats?"

"The fact that you doubt what I can or can't do shows that you're an intelligent woman." He says with a smile.

I look up at the two of them, resting my chin on my knees. _If Sarah wasn’t dating someone they’d be a cute couple…_ A sad smile comes across my lips.

Sarah smiles. “You should always question everything!” She says cheerfully.

"And that's basically why the police pays me to think for them." He notices my expression. "You're thinking some bullshit like how we would make a good couple, aren't you?"

I blink at him and shrug, looking away from him, laying my forehead on my knees. My heart clenches. _Stop being an idiot Katrina. Jeez. Even if it’s true, doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen._ I hear Sarah sigh softly. _Now Sarah’s annoyed at me. Everyone’s probably annoyed at me. Fuck, I ruined Logan and Alexander’s date... Jin’s probably in pain because of his wound… And I ruined the fun day I had planned with Sarah. I’m such a fucking idiot. I can’t do anything right. My cat died, yeah, but I shouldn’t have had that attack. Why can’t I be normal?! A normal person would’ve just cried, not done what I had done. Yeah, it would’ve sucked but only Sarah would’ve had to deal with it. It wouldn’t have needed everyone to come here to see me and see me break down like I’m the center of attention or something. FUCK WHY CAN’T I BE NORMAL?!_ My nails dig into the sides on my legs as my thoughts rush around in my head, both kitties nuzzling my hands, meowing loudly, trying to get me to stop.

Suddenly, two hands grab mine softly. I look up to see Jin smiling affably at me. "You know, instead of thinking of all the bullshit that's passing through your head..." Kindly, he takes my hands away from my legs. "You should think of how many wonderful idiots love you."

 _Yes, these idiots. What idiots they are for loving this fucking piece of trash. This piece of garbage._ I can’t look at Jin so I rest my forehead back against my knees. _What fucking morons they are. Why not love someone normal? You’ll live a normal life, a better life. Wonderful idiots… Yeah… You guys are all wonderful. I’m not, and I don’t deserve your love… Anybody’s love. Hah. Fuck. Not even my cat’s should give me love… These wonderful idiots love a piece of shit. And that’s not good… Stop. They should all stop loving me… haha… They should stop loving me and I should be thrown away like the garbage I am…_ My hands pull away from Jin's so I don't hurt him. I set them uselessly in my lap as they shake, wanting to hurt myself but not going to since there are others here and they'd stop me before I could do any real damage.

I feel a hand on my head softly caressing its top. I look up to find that it is Jin who is petting me. He smiles at me. "It's a goddamn miracle that I've never used this pun until now... What's wrong, Kat got your tongue?"

Everybody falls silent for a minute.

Sarah breaks it. "All the possible attraction I could have for you has just disappeared..."

Logan keeps going. "I'm so glad I did not fuck such a lame guy..."

Alexander finishes it off. "Why are we friends again?"

He turns to them with an annoyed expression. "Fuck you all! It was hilarious!"

One of my hands comes up to my mouth hiding my smile and a soft giggle escapes my mouth. More laughter follows it and I shake a bit from it. With my free hand, I cup Jin’s cheek, turning him to face me and then moving my other hand to his cheek as well, squishing his face a bit. I move my hands back to sign ‘That was horrible, my love.’

He pouts. "Everyone's a critic, nowadays..."

‘Maybe if you were funnier people wouldn’t have anything to criticize.’ I jokingly sign with a playful smile. 

"Ouch. You hear that? That's me denying you sex for a month."

‘See! Jokes like that, those are funny!’ My smile turns into a grin.

"Asshole." He pouts again and looks away. "You know my weaknesses way too well.”

My smile brightens and I giggle a bit, leaning back. ‘I’m only an asshole to other assholes.’ I reach down to pet Taco, and Crookshanks crawls into my lap so I pet him too.

There’s silence for a while and I muster enough strength to force two words out of my mouth, my voice hoarse and quiet, almost inaudible. “I’m sorry.” The words cause me to cough into my elbow a bit, then I return to petting Crookshanks with that hand acting like I hadn’t said anything cause I didn’t figure anyone heard.

"Tsk." I hear Jin mutter. "Don't apologize for nothing, dummy." On a louder tone, he addresses the others. "I'm taking her to my house. If anyone else wants to come, I have enough space for you lot."

My cheeks flush and I look at him. With a soft grunt I move Crookshanks off of my lap and stand up. My balance is all wonky so I fall back, hitting the wall I was laying against with a couple of blink. Then I stumble up the stairs and to my room, to grab clothes and cat carriers because I’m not leaving my babies here.

When I get back downstairs, I, like a moron, almost trip down the last step but I manage to catch myself, but end up falling gracefully to the ground. Which entails me falling and ending up in a cross legged position on the floor, my butt hurting but other than that I’m fine. The two kitties walk over and into their carriers without much fuss. Sarah seems to want to come with Jin and hang around me, bless her. _She makes a lotta things better…_ And it seems Logan and Alexander are still deciding. I just kinda sit there awkwardly, not wanting to get up, so I lay back, stretching out my legs, and just lay on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling until someone tells me to get up.

"The heck are you doing, lazy butt?" Jin comes my vision, offering me a hand. Once I'm up, he doesn't let go, probably to make sure I don't fall to the ground. "Hey, you two, gay idiots. If you're gonna fuck, don't come to my house. I'm the only one that's allowed to fuck there."

Logan looks at Alexander, “Up to you, Alex.”

My hand squeezes his and I slip mine free before leaning down to pick up the two carriers. They’re heavier than I anticipated, the last time I had the kitties in there they were still young so they didn’t weigh much. Either that or I’m just a weak bitch right now. Either way, I almost fall over again but once again catch myself but also end up on the floor. I look up at Jin and sign, ‘I’m just gonna lay here and die. Good plan. Have fun with your life…’ I flop back again, throwing my arms over my eyes and trying to get comfortable.

Sarah walks over and nudges me with a foot. “Kat, come on. I’ll make mac and cheese. The good stuff.” My arms move and I narrow my eyes at her. “Yes, and tea.” She rolls her eyes at me.

"If I have pick you up, I'll do so gripping your ass." A melody starts coming from his pocket. "Hold on a moment." He picks it up. "Helloooooooo Paulaaaa~." He instantly takes it away from his ear as a barrage of insults, that I can perfectly hear from here, come out of the phone. With a satisfied smile, he ends the call and turns the phone off. "Good news! I have at least a few days until she has finished all the documents necessary to justify coming to my place, beating me up and dragging me to the hospital."

I look up at Jin signing, ‘Jin, you were being fucking stupid. You should at the very least apologize to this woman. Why the fuck did you even leave in the first place? You should be your own first priority, and you should make sure you’re okay before trying to go and make sure others are okay.’ My gaze is stern. ‘You have to be in pain, because that shit hurts, so you didn’t fully take care of yourself before coming to see me. And it’s not that unhealthy as long as you don’t keep it up but if you keep it up it can turn into a nasty habit and you make yourself your last priority and you’re never okay because everyone around you isn’t okay.’ I pause for a moment before laughing and bang my head off the floor. ‘Fuck I’m a hypocrite and I hate hypocrites. Life’s just full of fucking conundrums like that. But seriously, you should apologize and like get something to make your pain go away.’

Sarah, who doesn’t understand sign language unless it’s slow, and I wasn’t signing slowly at all, looks at me confused.

He raises an eyebrow. "You do realize it was barely a scratch, right? Otherwise, I wouldn't have managed to slip out so easily. Plus, she knows me. She's aware that if I left, it was for a good reason. Think about it, why does she call hours after I disappeared? Because she's been leaving me time to deal with what I had to deal with. She calling me and acting like that is all part of our sense of humour. Same as to why I cut her mid-sentence. She knew I was going to do that."

My eyes shut and I sigh before smacking my head against the floor again. _Wayyy to fucking overreact, Katrina. That wasn’t fucking necessary. HAHA YOU FUCKING MORON. Why don’t you just stay here and rot away. Sounds good._ my eyes open and I smile at Jin. ‘Sorry. I’m an idiot.’ My gaze moves to the ceiling. ‘I think I’m just gonna stay here, by myself. Best if I don’t be around people.’ I push myself up and rub the back of my head. _Don’t bang your head on the ground. Hey, that’s also being stupid. Look at you, living up to your name. Good job. You’ve done something right for once._

I hear a sigh, and before I know it, I'm being scooped around on Jin's arms. And true to his word, one of his hands is casually resting on my ass.

I eye him. ‘You don’t need to take me anywhere. I’m fine by myself. Just leave me here, Jin.’

Sarah picks up the two carriers and looks at Jin. “Ready?”

"Yep." He ignores my protests and marches towards the door. "By the way, Sarah, I hope you love books."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURE AM TIRED! Yeah, two chapters one day or I'll forget to post and shit will just be shitty. Yeah.
> 
> Comments, Kudos, Melatonin that helps, a punch in the face. All things that would be nice to have. XD ~Taba


	19. Pain but cute.

To say that Sarah loves books is an understatement. Especially when the door opened to Jin’s house and she almost dropped the carriers in shock.

Who knows if she’s even sleeping. I’m sure not.

Taco and Crookshanks are curled around my front and Jin is sleeping peacefully facing me. He’s been out for five hours now. My belly is full of pasta and I feel content.

Other than the missing ball or warmth that always sleeps by my head. Tears well up in my eyes and I bite my lip to stifle my sobs for the fifth time so far, since I don’t want to wake Jin up. The kitties are asleep too, thank god. Maybe they’re dreaming of better times. I pet them with my free hand, the other trapped in Jin’s, since we can’t be too close together since the kitties were in the way.

I still haven’t said anything except for the two words I forced out of my mouth. I still don’t want to talk. It’d be easy to force me, but I don’t want to.

I’m also going to guess Sarah is asleep. Seeing as I don’t hear any commotion in the house at all. Jin’s face is peaceful, and the one thing I’m staring at. It’s beautiful. God…

_I love him so much…_

My hand lets go of his and I manage to slide out if the bed without disturbing the kitties or Jin. I take one of Jin’s many jacket and slip it over my shoulders, then slip on some pants, usually forgoing them for sleep.

Silently, I pick up my phone and walk out of the room. There are no lights on anywhere, except for the glow of the moon, since it’s about four or five in the morning. I slip out to the backyard and sit down in a chair back there. I pull my legs up, resting my chin on my knees before scrolling through my phone. I pick a playlist of songs, setting my phone to the side and letting the music play. I stare at the sky and watch the clouds go by and the sun start to rise from its cave where it hides.

After a few songs play, my voice joins the singers. A quiet melody, my voice soft and calming. My foot taps to the beat, as my eyes watch the sky with rapt attention. My fingers wrap around the ends of the sleeves and a small smile comes across my face, as I watch two birds fly into a tree together. The wind blows, making my hair flutter a bit, and it carries the chirping of birds.

 _So peaceful._ I think as the song ends and I settle back, starting to sing along to the next song and then the one after that, and continuing as the hours pass.

The door opens and someone steps out. My voice instantly stop but I don’t move my gaze. Their steps are soft and they sit down beside me. There’s the fluttering of pages turning in a book and we sit in silence for awhile, the only things making noise is my music, her turning pages, and the birds chirping.

“I’m not actually sure how I can live without him.” I say softly after quite a few minutes of silence pass. “He’s been there all the time… I feel like a piece of me had been ripped out of my body and I’m even further from being a whole person.”

Sarah’s head rests on my shoulder, paying attention and looking out into the nature as well. My head leans against hers. “Yeah, but… Everyone is here for you, and you still have Taco and Crookshanks. They aren’t the same, but they need you like you need them.” Sarah’s voice is soft.

“I know… but sometimes I wonder if it’s even worth trying anymore. Everything and everyone I care about is going to die or leave one day. Maybe if I died first I wouldn’t have to go through anymore heartbreak.” Tears well up in my eyes. “I feel broken. I don’t feel like myself. I feel like I’m watching a shitty movie of what’s to come in my life and I’m younger or something…”

Sarah sighs and rubs my back a bit. “Katrina… If that’s how you feel, then why haven’t you done it yet?”

I blink. “Done what?”

“Killed yourself. Gave up. Stopped caring.”

My head churns and I sniffle. “Because… I… I don’t know.”

“It’s because you don’t want to. You don’t want to leave the people you love.” Her hand continues to rub my back. “You don’t want to die, not really. You say that as a call for help. Help that nobody is quite sure how to give you. Because you push everyone away.” She scoots a bit closer. “And that’s not your fault. You’ve been through a rough life. Not as rough as some people’s, yes, but it’s still a rough life. People have left and nobody ever seems to care. We do. We care. Some of us just can’t always show it. And you don’t accept it, because you think it’s a joke.” Her free hand takes one of my and rubs the back of my knuckles. “I’m not all that qualified to talk about this, and I can’t offer any help, because I haven’t ever been through this. So please find someone you can talk to about this Kat. Whether it be Jin, Alexander, Logan, Tabby, or another friend. I know you can’t go to a therapist, but you need to talk. You’re going to pull yourself into a pit of despair that you won’t be able to escape from if you keep this up.” She sighs. “And everyone is worried.”

Tears well up in my eyes and I feel them escape, sobs racking my frame as I cling to Sarah. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” I cry, sobbing against her shoulder.

Sarah hug me and rubs my back, cooing softly in my ear. It doesn’t take too long for me to calm down.

After I do that we separate and I stand up, shoving my phone in my pocket. Humming along to the music, I walk around aimlessly, before stumbling along a box. I look at it with curiosity before crouching down and opening the thing. Inside is a bunch of Kendo equipment, and I pull out a bamboo practice sword. Sarah walks over and pulls one out herself, eyeing the sword.

We both look up at each other and grin, having the same idea. I pull my phone out if my pocket, and quickly find a certain playlist, while I walk out into the grass a bamboo sword under my arm. I click the right playlist and shove my phone back into my pocket, the noise pouring out loudly.

Sarah grins at me and I grin back, remembering our childhood together in kendo class. We both take a stance and stare at each other, judging each other.

She lunges towards me. I swiftly dodge her, blocking the blow she throws at my back. Typical. She spins, hair flying in a whirlwind around her before crashing her sword against mine. A loud smack resonated through the yard. My other hand comes around the tip of the sword to keep it steady. My feet slip backwards.

Her eyes gleam and I grin. Energy fills up my body. My leg swings around from under me, colliding with her legs. Sarah shrieks, as I trip her. She hits the ground with a thud. I stand up straight and grin down at her.

She starts to laugh, looking up at me. “I always fall for that.”

“Quite literally.” I say with a grin before offering her a hand up. “Pretend like I’m slipping back so your focus is to put more pressure on me, so I can easily trip you. Oh Sarah.” I pull her up and laugh. “You gotta think of everything.”

Sarah giggles and bonks me on the head with her fist. “Best two out of three?”

“Sure sure.” I say with a warm smile.

We split away from each other and take a different stance to begin. Our stances probably aren’t to proper kendo standards, but we only got the basics before we couldn’t pay for more classes. 

Sarah lunges forward again and I block her, making her stagger back. Our sword smacking against each other and the music coming from my phone are the only noises in the yard.

And then there’s a victorious yell from Sarah. The cloth tip of her sword presses against my back. A shiver runs down my spine. “Dang.” I say with a giggle.

She pulls the sword back and grins triumphantly. “Watch your back, kiddo.”

“One more go?”

“Once more.”

Now it’s serious.

My phone plays the most appropriate song possible and I mouth the words to the song as we glare at each other. We lunge forward at the same time. Locking our swords together against each other. Our eyes lock. I leap back, her arm moving swiftly. The tip barely brushing against my shirt as it creates an arc. I block her other swing at me. My eyes follow her arm. As another swing comes, towards my waist.

The sword suddenly drops. But I’m prepared. My hand grabs her shoulder. Her eyes flick to mine. With a cocky grin I flip over to her back. I land in a crouch and she turns, hair flying around.

Her sword comes down on the top of my head. Mine flies up and blocks. Just a few inches away from the top of my head. My breath escapes me in harsh pants. I fall back onto my butt. Sarah’s smile turns feral.

_Oh ho ho, you think you’ve one, haven’t you?~_

My legs jerk up, hitting her in the stomach. She lets out a breath, forced back. Momentum guides me forward, pushing me upright.

Uh oh~

Sarah’s pissed.

Her legs carry her forward. My body swerves to the side. In a flash she turns. I’m barely able to block her.

I’m starting to slow down. She seems to just be getting started.

Until.

She leaves a little opening.

I take it.

But it costs me.

We end up with each of our blades pressed to the others throat. The rough cloth brushing against my sensitive skin at every breath I take.

Our eyes lock together before we start to laugh. “Of course. A tie.” I say between my giggles.

Our swords move down in unison and I wipe my forehead with my shirt, having set Jin’s jacket down on a chair before we had started. Sarah laughs as well and looks at me. “It always does that, doesn’t it?”

“Everytime.” I say cheerfully.

“Too bad we never were able to finish our lessons, huh?”

I laugh a bit and nod. “Yeah, damn fucking expensive ass equipment and us not having money for it.” I scratch the back of my head, looking up at the sky. “Well, these aren’t damaged, right? I may be his girlfriend but I doubt Jin would like it very much if I had broken one of these…” We both check over the bamboo, finding no cracks or anything. “Thank fuck…” I say with a sigh.

Both of our heads turn when we hear clapping coming from the door to the house. There stands the white haired prick. “Good show ladies.”

My cheeks flush and my words leave me again. “Why thank you.” Sarah says. “We were never trained properly but we can fight each other pretty well.”

Jin grins. “May I join?”

“And kick our asses?” The words flow out of me. “Hah! No. I’d like to keep my delicate pride.” I laugh.

Sarah looks at me. “Hey, have a bit of faith in yourself. You might do decently well.” She smiles.

“Not likely.”

“What’s the harm in trying?” Jin asks, walking over.

“I could die?” I look at him. “From embarrassment or from you killing me.”

Jin chuckles a bit and ruffles my hair. “I won’t hurt you.”

“You’ll hurt my pride.” I huff.

“You have one of those?”

“Jerk.” I mutter, shooting him a glare. “Fine, we can spar. Me first, cause it’ll be over quick. Sarah’s the one you have to look out for.”

Jin chuckles and takes Sarah’s sword from her with a grin. We both walk out into a nicer section of grass to begin.

I take the usual stand, blade gripped firmly in both hands, tip pointing upwards. I make sure to control my breath. I check my feet position. My legs are firm and ready. I'm ready.

Meanwhile, Jin just stays at a few feet, sword held on his left, resting on his shoulder, right hand in a pocket of his trousers, cocky grin on place.

I frown. Asshole. I love ya beyond all, but I’m going to try and put up a fight.

Annoyingly, he calmly walks towards me, not bothering to even take a stance. I feel my annoyment growing.

As soon as he comes close, I take a downwards swing with all my might. As soon as the swords contact, I'll push him with my momentum and use the opportunity to take the lead.

The swing goes wider than I had thought. I blink as Jin passes my side.

The force of the swing makes me take a few steps, before I quickly regain my balance. I turn around, expecting to find a sword to my head.

Nothing.

He's standing on place, in the same position as we started, grinning. It just hits me. We just exchanged place.

I squint my eyes, now really fucking pissed and run towards him, swinging again.

My momentum is stopped by heavy noise. He's holding me in place. With a single fucking arm. I try to use my legs to press on. He doesn't even bulge.

He starts putting more pressure on his arm, my arms shaking. I take a step backwards.

His grin grows wider. "My turn."

I am pushed back a few steps. Okay. He is way stronger than me, I already knew that.

He takes a step and lunges his whole body onwards, leaning towards the ground. It somehow reminds me of a snake.

His sword takes a wide arc. Easy to predict. I prepare a defense on my left, feet solid on the ground.

His sword hits mine like a truck.

And, suddenly, my feet are off the ground.

I spend an eternal second on the air. Then I got the ground. The grass is soft, but I still get a bit dizzy rolling a few times.

When I come to a stop, I'm mostly uninjured, but with grass all over my hair. And with a shocked expression, staring at him.

Jin returns the blade to his shoulder. "I believe that's my win."

I blink a few times before laughing. “I think so too.” I go to stand up and wince when I put pressure on my left ankle to push myself up. “Ouch.” I mutter before managing to push myself up and walk over to Sarah pretty normally and hand her the sword. “Have funn~”

Her face is mildly horrified. “Nope! FUCK THAT!” She turns to Jin, and I start to laugh. “I don’t want grass in my hair!”

“That’s what you’re worried about?” I laugh harder. “It’s just hair Sarah. You can get grass out of it just fine.”

She stomps her foot down and looks at me. “You look like a trainwreck. I don’t wanna look like a trainwreck.”

I wink at her. “Finally look like what I really am.” Next are the finger guns I shoot at her. “Eeyyyyyyyyyy.” 

Sarah makes a disappointed face at me and whacks me with the sword, causing me to topple over onto the grass again. A laughter filled shriek comes out of my mouth as I fall and my bestie eyes me. “No self-depreciation. Or I’m going to hit you harder.”

“Kinnky~” I say with a shit-eating grin. 

I know the blow is coming, but I don’t even move my arms up to block it, just let her sword smack me in the head. Well, at least I would’ve if she hadn’t been stopped.

Jesus, Jin is like lightning or something. When I look up, he’s blocked her sword about an inch from the top of my head. With a giggle I look up at Jin. “Are you suddenly my knight in shining armor?” I frown. “And does that then make me a damsel in distress? Cause I can take care of myself.” My cheeks puff out.

Sarah grins. “Does that make me the villain?” She jumps in place. “I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A VILLAIN!”

"Considering I'm apparently at a complete advantage here..." He smiles arrogantly. "Wouldn't it be more fitting for me to be the villain, challenged by two mighty heroes?"

I click my tongue. “Dang.”

“Shit he’s right.” Sarah pouts and then pulls me away from Jin. “Don’t be affectionate with the enemy, Kat.”

Sarah pulls me sufficiently far enough away and I glare at her then at Jin. “Even together we wouldn’t be able to stand a chance. This is rigged.” With a huff I stand up and brush myself off, shaking my head to free some grass from my hair. “And I have no other power than to be a distraction. And distract the enemy. With love. That works, right?”

She stares at me blankly. “No.” I pout and cross my arms over my chest.

"Hey, you girls." We both look at him. "What's wrong? Scareeeeed~?"

Sarah give him a blank look. “Of you, no.”

I eye my friend. “Da fuck you mean ‘No’? I’m fucking terrified.” A laugh escapes me.

"How about a little advantage?" Says Jin with a smile. He sticks his sword on the ground. "I'll be nice and give you one minute. One minute in which I will not attack. Seems easy enough to beat me, right?"

Sarah grins and seems to want to lunge forward. I block her with my arm. “He’s still going to dodge… And even if we move him far away from the sword, he’ll get it back.” My foot taps. “Mmm…”

“Kat don’t overthink it.” She groans out, wanting to lunge at him.

“Sarah, don’t underthink it.” I eye Jin.

His grin widens. "What? Shall I bind my arms as well? Cover my eyes? Just say it, you girls will still lose."

“Yes, we know this.” I say with a sigh. “No matter what you do to make it seem easier, you’re still going to win.” I move my arm down and set my hands on my hips with a frown.

Sarah pouts and sets her sword down. “What about a peace offering?”

"Oh, c'mon! You girl are no fun!"

“Smart, no fun, same thing.” I grin. “We just know when to pick out battles.”

Sarah smiles brightly. “Until we know we can take you down-”

“Which will never happen.” I cut in.

My friend bonks me on the head with her fist. “We will not engage in battles we know we will lose!” She taps her lips. “But a peace offering, seeing as this is ‘war’ we need something that’ll make him not come to kill us.”

He sighs. "Boooooring... Tsk. Okay, what is that peace offering?"

We stare at each other for a minute before Sarah turns to Jin. “What would you like?”

"What do you offer?" Jin crosses his arms.

Sarah frowns. “Hmm… Well…”

I tap my foot. “Re-”

“You can have Kat!” She interrupts me.

My cheeks turn red and I roll my eyes. “I don’t think he’s want that.” Shaking my head I turn to look at Jin. “Really whatever you want. It’s a treaty, so normally it starts out with the one who didn’t instigate the treaty choosing something that they want and then the other side agreeing or disagreeing and making adjustment.” I frown a bit, furrowing my eyebrows. “Er, at least that’s how I think it works. How it normally works in books…”

"Kat is not something to offer, I already have her.” My cheeks redden even more and I open my mouth to retort something hut Jin continues. “Mmm... Very well the. A promise it will be!"

My eyes roll and I put on a monotonous voice. “What are we promising?”

"To get stronger. It's clear you girls were well thought, albeit only the basics. Perfect that. Take those swords and train, dominate the basic stance, and become stronger." He raises two fingers. "Two months! In two months I will fight both of you. And this time I will be serious."

Sarah nods excitedly and I sigh. “In two months I’m going to die.” I look up to the sky and laugh. “It’s been a good life.”

And I get another bonk on the head from that. “Hey! You aren’t gonna die!”

“Owie. Please stop.” I rub the top of my head a bit, before looking at Jin. “Am I gonna die? Cause I reallllllllly feel like Imma die."

"You won't. Your pride may."

A hysterical laugh escapes me. “Hah! That’s already dead.” I take a deep breath and exhale.

Sarah hits me on the head with her sword and I wince. “Kat, we can do this. We were better when we were kids. Definitely not as good as him and two months may not even be enough to get where we were, but we can at least like try.” She nudges my arm. 

I sigh and pick up my sword before staring at it. “Can’t wait for all these sore muscles. Oh boy howdy am I prepared.” I rub my face a bit and sigh. “Well… I should probably feed my children…” I frown a bit and suddenly feel like I’m pulled back into reality. _Oh yeah… heh… that happened…_

My footsteps are heavy when I walk to the door. Two kitties are sitting there and watching me as I slide open the door. As soon as I do, the kitties nuzzle my legs and a sad smile comes to my lips before I close the door behind me and weave around the books to try and get to the kitchen to feed the babies.

~~~

The wind blows soft. The grass moves gently. The moon brights beautifully.

Jin stares at the moon, the wooden sword on his lap. What got over him? Asking those two to get stronger... Why? What was the point?

Having those two fight him... It sounded fun. Why was he so excited about it? Fuck, he didn't want to hurt them in the slightest.

But why did fighting sound like so much fun?

"Yo." Sarah sits besides him as he wakes from his thoughts. She's smiling. "Thought we could bond or something, ya know?"

He blinks. "Bond?"

"Yeah, I mean... Besides Kat, have we ever talked about something? Heck, I don't think we've ever been in the same room without Kat. And..." She shrugs. "I don't know man. Kat likes you. Must have a reason why."

He raises an eyebrow, tone sarcastic. "Wow, thanks."

She laughs. "Take this as a chance to prove yourself! Anyway, something's been in my mind for a while now." She points to the sword resting on his lap. "Why you have that?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe I practice kendo?"

"Lay it down, you sassy pansy. You know what I mean. Why do you do kendo? Or did? Or will do? Whatever..." Okay, this girl is... Exactly what would expect in a friend for Kat.

"Actually, I don't practice kendo much nowadays due to having a job and such." And becoming a bit lazy. Nah, didn't matter, he was still ripped. "But I started when I was twelve. My old man grabbed me one day and told me: 'Feeling like kicking your ass.' I responded: 'Bitch, try me.' And that was my first experience in kendo. I was sore and started training. Turns out it was really fun, so I kept doing it. Same story for shooting with a bow and martial arts." The image of Kat holding a large Japanese bow comes to mind. Thank God they only found the kendo equipment.

"You're a samurai!" Says Sarah with an excited expression.

He blinks. "What...?"

"A samurai! The guys of the movies that go around carrying swords- Well, katanas, which I'm pretty sure is a sword, but then again why does it have an specific name? It's like a type, right? People do weird things with words, specially if they're from another country.”

Jesus, Kat and her were a way better match than him and Kat.

"Ah... Katana is a Japanese word for talking about any sword..."

"Oooooooh." She nods. "Got it. You know your stuff, samurai-sama."

"Using that kind of expression is something weaboos do. Also kinda racist."

"I'm offended you called me a weaboo." Her arms cross over her chest. "But I also apologize, because I didn't mean any offense."

"It's alright. And what the hell was that samurai stuff?"

She suddenly seems a bit embarrassed. "Ah, you know... Cause... Word... Japan...? Am I a racist?"

He can't help but chuckle. "Nah. Don't worry about it. How is it that Kat and you know your way around with a sword, by the way?"

“Oh!” She seems excited again. “We took lessons when we were about ten! I think anyways. It was a long time ago!” She shakes her head. “But we went because my brother was watching some anime and I saw them fighting with swords and I wanted to do it. Dragged Kat along.” Her excitement fades a bit. “We ended up not having enough money to get all the equipment when it was time to get our own equipment, so the teacher wouldn’t have to lend his stuff out. We had to stop going to the classes tol, since those also cost a lot. But we had learned the basics well enough where we practiced with sticks outside.” A warm smile comes across her face. “Fun times.”

"Sounds like it. Still, you guys barely know the basics, tho your Chūdan is pretty decent."

“My what…?”

He sighs. "Learnt the practice not the theory, huh? Chūdan is the middle stance in kendo, the most balanced one."

“It’s been twelve years since I’ve been to a class, Jin. How do you expect me to remember this stuff? Not everyone is as magical as you.” She laughs and leans back in her chair.

"I ain't magic." No, just weird enough to be good at anything related to beating the shit out of someone. "If you want to get back on the basics, I can help you out."

Sarah grins broadly. “Wouldn’t that be cheating?” Her tone is playful. “I mean we are supposed to train and fight you in two months. Wouldn’t it be cheating to get lessons from you?”

He shrugs. "Won't be any fun if you girls can't last at least a minute. I'm just trying to ensure my future fun." That sounds... Weird. But, hey, he really wanted to.

Her grin becomes wider. “I mean, I would think you would know how long Kat lasts.” She turns to him and wiggles her eyebrows before bursting into laughter. “And I think together we’d be good as long as we practice. We just hafta get back into the swing of things.”

He smiles back. "Well, I'm used to handling various partners at once, so you girls better take it seriously." Oh, last summer had been fun.

She blinks a few times. “Are you instigating a three-some? Cause I love Kat, but not like that. She loves me, but not like that.”

"Oh, who knows?" Well, he does. Oh, last summer had been FUN.

She stares at him for a few moments before laughing. “Aaaannnnyyyways. You’re kinky stuff to the side… Well, I don’t know how this bonding thing works.” Her eyebrows furrow in confusion. “Becoming friends?” She becomes even more confused. “Words!” She finally decides on excitedly.

"Let's leave it as friendly rivals."

“Why do we need to be rivals?” Aaannnd she’s confused again.

"Seems like fun."

“A lot of things sound like fun, Jin.” She looks up at the sky. “Doesn’t always mean you should do them.” Her voice is soft but stern, as if she’s used to using those exact words to calm someone down.

"Oh, right, I'm sure having a friendly rivalry will completely ruin my life." Sarcasm present in his tone. He gets up, and announces with a smile. "I've made my mind! From this point on, we're rivals. Do your best to beat me, because I will sure do the same!" He's feeling pretty excited. Really fucking excited!

Sarah’s eyes turn to his, a striking green. “You seem to excited for that.” Her eyebrow quirks. “And what exactly are we fighting over? Just the kendo stuff? Or is there more too this?”

"It's everything! I won't lose against my rival!"

“So are we competing for everything? Like how much oxygen we intake, how quickly our cells do mitosis, how fast we can speak, how many times we’ve sat down, how many minutes we stand up, how long we sleep, Katrina’s love, how much time we spend sitting down, how fast our hearts beat, etc. That kind of everything?” Her eyebrows quirks and she’s got a shit-eating grin.

"No, no, yes, no, no, yes, yes, no, no."

“Why exactly are we competing for Kat’s love? That was probably the most joking one of the bunch.” She flips her hair sassily. “Cause we both know it’s all mine.” She teases with a grin.

Oh yeah? I wouldn't be so sure." Responds him with a sharp smile.

“Now why do you say that, Mr. Confident?”

"It's Doctor Confident to you, and it's pretty simple. I can do something to increase her affection for me that you can't do."

Her eyebrows shoots up. “Oh? What’s that?”

"Oh, I can't say it out loud. After all, I wouldn't want to make you jealous." His smile widens at her.

Her grin widens. “I don’t get jealous easily, so try me.”

"Why don't you try to deduce it by yourself? If the thought doesn't make you unbearably jealous, I mean."

She puffs out her cheeks. “But that’s boooooring.”

He laughs. "What, want me to describe our 'fun' nights?"

She opens her mouth to say something but a tired voice cuts in. “You know, if you two are trying to pursue a relationship or something and this is how you’re going to do it, that’s fine. Just next time let me know, so I can just stab myself in the chest while I’m already in the kitchen.” When he looks over, Kat’s standing in the doorway.

"Sorry, there's no space in your heart for a knife. An arrow shot by a flying baby has taken up most of the face." And winks at her.

Her eyes narrow at him. “There’s plenty of room for a knife. I could prove it to you.”

"Honey, let me be the one placing things in places." He makes sure to have the most shit-eating smile possible.

“Ah.” She shifts her weight, leaning against the door with a smile. “I see, you want to kill me? Rad. Means I don’t hafta do any work myself. Fun times.” 

"Nah. At maximum you may pass out."

Her eyebrow quirks up. “May? You have confidence that I won’t? Damn, babe. You obviously don’t pay attention.” Her voice has taken on a teasing tone now, the smile becoming more genuine.

Walking past a very surprised-looking Sarah, he reaches Kat, putting an arm around her hips and bringing her closer, at which she opens her eyes plenty and blushes a bit. He puts on his best cocky smile. "I'm not so sure... Wanna help me find out~?"

Sarah suddenly stands up and announces, “I AM GOING TO BED NOW! PLEASE KEEP YOUR NIGHTLY ACTIVITIES TO A MINIMUM VOLUME!” And then pushes past the couple.

Kat laughs a bit, shaking her head a bit. “I would say yes to your offer, but…” Her smile fades. “Ah, well. Probably not the best time. To do something like that.”

He sighs. "Fine. But you need to get rid of some stress. Let me give you a massage at least."

She thinks for a moment. “Well, I never say no to a handsome man offering me a massage. So why would I deny one from the most handsome man in the world?” The corners of her lips quirk up in a shy smile.

"Off to bed, then." He picks her up with little effort and initiates the walk.

She squeaks. “I’m perfectly capable of walking!” As soon as they enter the house she seems to grow more tense. “You can put me down.” 

"Or..." Evil deed in 3, 2, 1... "I can put you up!" And with those words, he shoots his arms upwards, carrying the girl, who squeaks.

“Jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinnnnnnn!” Kat whines, glaring at him. “I have two legs. I can walk.”

"And you can fly!" He starts walking, making childish plane-like noises.

She stares at him for a full minute, in silence before finally speaking in a quiet tone. “You are a goddamn wonder… Fuck… me… how did a wonder like you fall in love with garbage like me?”

"Because..." He lets go of her. She squeaks loudly for a second before falling right onto his arms, his face a gentle smile. "One man's garbage is another's treasure."

Her cheeks flush red and she laughs, which then, after a few minutes, slowly develop into sobs, making her cling to him for dear life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've been finished with this chapter for like... a while. And I just forgot to post it like a fucking dumbass!
> 
> Anyways! I apologize, can't vouch for the other human, for the late post! I don't think either of us have been in the mood to write due to personal stuff and classes and shit. It's all fun and games until someone has a panic attack!
> 
> Eyyyy. That sounded funnier in my head.
> 
> Anyways! Here you go! My hand are covered in paint cause I've been painting a mural after school a lot and I should probably get it off of me.
> 
> ANYWAYS! My brain gets off track sometimes, I apologizeee. Um! Hope you enjoy this chapter! Kudos and comments are always appreciated! I am once again sorry for the lack of updates! But we're back now! Maybe. Unless the motivation leaves us again. 
> 
> Until then! Tootles! ~Taba


	20. Hey Look. A Kitten

When I finally wake up, again it’s maybe around noon. Crookshanks is curled around my head and Taco is against my chest. I blink a couple of time, yawning a bit. I’ve never felt to relaxed in my entire life. What the fuck happened…?

Oh right. Massages. Lots and lots of massages. And tears. Lotsa tears from me too. Until I finally fell asleep.

A hand reach behind me and pats the bed, as my eyes search around the parts of the room I can see. He’s not here.

I tiredly sit up, rubbing my eyes before noticing a piece of paper resting on nightstand, right beside my glasses and phone. With a quick motion I pull on my glasses as my eyes scan the piece of paper. A familiar handwriting on it.

“While I’m working, I’ll leave you in the care of these gentlemen.”

A fond smile tugs at my lips and I stretch my arms above my head with a yawn. The kitties move and I slip out of bed, eyeing my clothes, or lack of decent clothes I guess. With a few quiet steps I walk to Jin’s closet and steal a few of his clothes, meaning a pair of sweatpants and a random hoodie I found in the back that fit pretty well. The pants are a bit tight but whatever.

I pull in a pair of socks, also borrowed from Jin, before walking out if the bedroom and slowly walking through the maze of books to the kitchen where I hear pots and pans banging around. As well as the heavenly scent of coffee.

The cats follow me.

Inside of the kitchen is Sarah, making what seems to be french toast. She looks up at me, eyes narrowing. “You’ve been asleep for far too long.”

“O-Oh..?” I stutter out, my voice hoarse from the crying I did.

“Well, thanks for keeping it down when you two were making love.” She says before setting the last piece of french toast on the pile. “Due to your lack of wanting to get out of bed and your hoarse voice, I’m assuming that's what happened.”

My cheeks flare red. “N-No!”

“Then what happened?”

“H-He just massaged my back and neck and legs and feet.” I shift uncomfortably back and forth. “Just trying to get me to relax. That’s all. And I was crying a lot, not cause of pain but cause I’m just mentally not okay, so that’s why my voice is hoarse.”

Sarah stares at me for a while before nodding at the dining room table. “Makes sense why that’s there then.”

I blink and walk over, eyeing the books and notebook that’s open. They’re all about massages.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

How…

How can someone be this goddamn cute?!

Sarah sets a coffee mug and plate of food down on the table before moving me to sit there. She sits beside me with her own plate of food and a mug of cocoa.

We eat in relative silence. The kitties curled up on the chair beside of me.

Once we’re finished and we help each other with washing dishes, Sarah looks at me. “Want to train..?”

“Yeah. Sounds good.” I say with a smile and stretch.

~~~

We get back inside Jin’s house, both sweating grossly. Sarah tells me she’s going to drive home real quick to take a shower, and leaves. I shrug, walking back to the bathroom to take my own shower. I dry off and pull on some different borrow clothes of Jin’s, setting the dirty ones in the hamper.

With a careful hand I brush my hair out then eye it. _It’s gotten much too long. Mmm._ I search around the bathroom in search for a pair of hair cutting scissors. I’m mildly surprised to actually find a pair.

I carefully snip away my hair so it fall a but under my jawline, since when dries if floofs a little and will become a cute bob falling right along my jaw. I smile at it before tossing the hair in the trash and setting the scissors back where they were.

There’s a knock on the door and I ruffle my hair out a bit before walking over to the door, opening it. Sarah stares at me for like five seconds before walking into the room. “How are you so talented at cutting your own hair child?”

“No clue!” I shut the door behind me and stretch. “Ummm. So what should we do?”

“I found some cool books while exploring yesterday. Lets see if there’s anymore.”

I laugh. “Likely there are.” I say before walking to a random stack of books.

With a plop, I sit down in front of the stack and pick up the first book. It’s in English and seems to be about the rise and fall of the roman empire. A book I’ve read before for a research paper for a world history class. I set it on my lap before picking up the second book. It also seems to be about the roman empire. I tilt my head to the side to eye all of the books and purse my lips. All about the roman empire.

When I look around, the books around me seem to be historical, all in English. Seems like a disorganized but organized mess. My organizational side is dying to try and fix this mess, but I resist due to it not being my goddamn house technically and since I don’t think Jin would appreciate the random organization of things without his knowledge.

Even if it kills me, I’m not going to organize it.

Which is may actually be killing me inside.

Fuck.

The front door opens and I look up from the book I grabbed from a nearby pile. It was a book of poems. Kind of dark poems, but they were nice.

Anyways, Jin shuts the door and stretches before looking between Sarah and I, a bag in his hand. He seems fine with what’s going on until Sarah picks up another book. I can see his head process something before his eyes widen and he shouts. “No, don’t touch that!”

Sarah jumps and almost drops the book before setting it down gently on the pile where it was. I blink a few times and he cheeks flush red. “A-Ah! I’m sorry!” Sarah says, embarrassed.

“It’s fine. Just.” Jin shakes his head a bit before walking over to me, still holding the bag.

I’m still sitting the on ground and I have to look up quite a bit to see his face. “Hi babe.”

“Something’s… different…” Jin says, narrowing his eyes at me, almost examining me.

I blush a big and scratch my now dried hair, must’ve been a while I’ve been reading. “O-Oh yeah! U-Uh. I like my hair shorter so I cut it a lot. And uh. Yeah. I think it looks cute but I guess maybe it’s not really. Hah. I probably shoulda asked or at least told you that I was gonna do this. Aaahh.. fuck. I’m sorry babe. I just… I prefer it short, and it’s not that much different and it’ll only take a few months to grow back out to the length it was, probably. Uh. If-”

Jin cuts me off by setting a hand on top of my head and petting my hair, gently scratching my scalp. I look up at him, and he smiles warmly. “I like this different!” He says with an almost giddy child-like happiness.

My face flushes a bit, and Jin’s smile widens before he sets the bag on my lap. “Here’s some clothes I got from your house. Where Logan and Alex were fucking on the couch.” His face twists. “I’m burning that couch when I get my hands on it.”

I make a face. “You can’t burn t-”

“Oh? I’m sure you enjoyed seeing that.” Sarah says with a teasing tone.

“I mean it was hot.” Jin shrugs.

“Huh. You gonna dump Kat for a man now? Seeing as you seem to like them more?”

Jin scoffs and looks at Sarah in mock annoyance. “Excuse me, I like both men and women.”

“Well that sure opens up some fun threeway options, huh?” Sarah grins.

I shut the book I’m holding and set it back on it’s pile before standing up. With a few steps I walk to the front door and yank it open. I take a few steps, planning on going home before remembering exactly what was happening back home.

My face pales and I turn on my heel, shutting the door and walking over to Jin, pushing my face into his chest. “Ughhhhhhh.”

Jin chuckles and wraps an arm around me and also pats my head. “You’re so cute when you’re angry.” I look up and shoot him a glare, causing him to coo at me like I was a fucking baby. “Awww, so cute.”

I growl, annoyed before slapping a hand over his mouth. “Do shut up.”

He grins at me before licking the palm of my hand. I pull my hand away making a disgusted face. He opens his mouth to say something else but I stand up on my tip toes to kiss him. When I pull away my eyes narrow. “One more word and you’ll have to sleep on the goddamn couch.”

Jin pouts. “This is my house, you can’t do that.”

I snort. “You know, when you get into a relationship with someone you’re practically giving them everything you have. Though I guess that more happens with marriage; however, I’m just gonna say that in most relationships you kinda give the other a lot of your own possessions. So in a way. Your house is technically mine. And my house is technically yours.” I take a step back and walk to Jin’s room before changing.

He grabbed me some actual pants and an actual shirt, along with some underwear and a bra that I’ve literally never seen before. _Oh wait… These are new. That’s right._ I shrug it off and walk back into the living room. 

I crouch down in front of the kitties and pet their heads. Jin crouches beside me and Sarah is sitting on the couch. “Hey…” I say softly to Jin. “Can you come with me to the shelter? I know it’s kinda late, but these two need a new sibling. You don’t need to come with me… I just need someone.”

A hand is placed on my back and rubs it gently. “I’d love to come.”

With a small smile shot at him, I stand up and look at Sarah. “Can you watch these two for me?”

She nods happily and I slip on a pair of shoes. Jin takes my hand gently and smiles at me before walking to the door. It doesn’t take us too long before we get to the shelter, a mere ten minutes.

We step into it, hand in hand. Together, we walk to the desk and I smile at the lady. “Hi! We’re here to look at cats.”

She nods a bit, seemingly bored with life, before leading us over to a room where a bunch of cats run free. There are a few others in the room as well and the lady lets us in. We step in and the door shuts behind us.

I barely take a step before a small white fluffy cat runs up to me and buzzle my legs, meowing loudly at me. My cheeks flush a bit and I start to walk over to a bench where I can sit, looking at my feet so I didn’t step on the baby weaving around my legs. As soon as I sit down it climbs up my leg and nuzzles my stomach. Tears come to my eyes almost immediately as I pet the fluffy baby. It look at me with wide eyes, which are dark blue. Same color as Jin’s. I laugh through the tears and elbow Jin a bit, who has a cat on his lap as well. Brokenly, I say, “L-Look, it’s y-you a-as a ca-cat, babe.”

Jin looks over and chuckles a bit. “It really is.”

I continue to pet it, marvelling at how soft the fur is. She has a simple color that reads: “Female” as her gender. I smile and kiss her head, as she meows happily at me. “Do you have an idea for a name, babe? I can’t think if any except the stereotypical white cat names.”

“What about…” He seems to think for a minute. “Airi? It’s a Japanese word. Ai means love and affection while Ri means white jasmine.”

I smile warmly at him. “Sounds beautiful. You’re good at coming up with names. Wish you were there when I names my other cats.”

He chuckles and reaches over to pet the white fluffball. “So, mind if I buy her for you.”

A laugh escapes me. “No, babe. But we should probably get back soon.”

"Hey, I named her. I'm her fucking daddy. Let me pay."

I laugh again. "If you pay for her then technically she's yours and you would be the owner. So any and all bills from vet visits or food or supplies would be under your name and she should stay at your house. I wouldn't want to take your baby away from you. Seeing as you're her father. So I wouldn't see her very much and neither would my children. So I'll pay."

"I'm too busy to take care of her. So I would happily allow my w-... Waifu, to take care of her. I'm fine paying for the things and handling paper work."

"First off, waifu? Wow. I thought marriage scared you, babe. Second, if you're letting me care for her, I'll deal with the paperwork and such. But do know, if we break up, she's legally yours, so she would go back to you. Do you want that responsibility?"

He crosses his arms. "You know what? Yes, I do. I've been living without barely any for way too long. And anyhow, that's if we broke up. Which won't happen because: First, great chemistry. Second, amazing sex. So fuck off and let the right boytoy pay.”

"Boytoy?" I snort and my voice drops to a whisper. "Also you don't need to announce to the general public that we have great sex. Seeing as there are children here. Both human and non-human." My voice returns to normal levels. "But alright. She's gonna destroy your books though. Claws are mighty devastating to those books, my love."

"I'm not stupid or not obsessive enough to not make a digital copy of everything I read. It's called paranoia." He tilts his head. "Also I don't understand the social stigma with sex and children. Both things are related, you know?"

"Yes, both things are related, cutie. However most children don't know about sex because it's 'not suited' for them or something along those lines. Which is almost stupid because if you never teach a kid about sex, then when they want to have it they won't know what to do. Except penetration. Wouldn't know that a woman needs lubrication and the other things that come with it. And if we teach kids about it, I highly doubt they'll try to have sex with another kid. Like. No. Kids may be kids but they're also pretty god dang smart and most have more common sense than some adults." My cheeks flush a bit. "Aaah. Rambled again, sorry.”

"Hey, as long as you get all cute and blushed, I don't mind.” My cheeks flush redder and I pout at him, causing him to just grin back at me. “Back on topic, I'm paying, you're keeping the cat."

“Why are you so insistent on this?” I smile warmly at him. “I have plenty of money to buy Airi, and cover for any expenses for her. You don’t need to waste your money, even if you have a shit ton of it. Specially not on me.” I look down at the kitten asleep on my lap, using one of my hands as a pillow.

"That's not..." He looks away, blushing a bit. "I want to do this together. And since I'll spend less time with her, at least I want to take care of this. It's our cat, okay?"

My cheeks turn a bit pinkish and a warm smile graces my lips. I lean over and press a kiss to his cheek. “Okay. Our cat.” My head rests against his shoulder a bit watching the kitty’s chest rise and fall before letting out a soft laugh. “Jeez. This feels like we’re committing something to each other just because of a cute fluffy little kitten. Or maybe it’s just me…”

"Just shut up and let's get out of here. All this fussy, feely, stupid stuff is annoying." He tries to maintain an annoyed tone but he's obviously flustered.

 

I nuzzle his shoulder a bit. “Of course, my love. Sorry for being annoying.” I sit up and look at him with a shy smile. “Didn’t mean to annoy you. We can go now.”

"Ah... Well..." He is the one looking shy now. "Who... Grabs the cat...?"

“I’ll take her, hun.” I cradle the Airi, standing up. “Come on. Sorry again for annoying to and or making you flustered. However you want to put it, love.”

"I'm not-! Ugh. Whatever."

A warm smile comes across my lips. “Of course you’re not, sweetie.” I press a small kiss to his lips and then walk to the doors. “Let’s go, before it gets too late, okay?”

Jin nods, cheeks still red, before we walk to the front desk again. The lady there seems surprised by the kitten we’re holding. “She hasn’t let anyone touch her. You want her?”

“Yeah.” I say with a warm smile. “How much?”

She names off the price and Jin pays her, signing the documents. We get a carrier and I reluctantly please Airi into it. She wakes up almost immediately and starts to mew pitifully, breaking my heart.

Jin pays for the little fluffball as I kinda stick my fingers through holes of the gate and scratching her cheek.

I pick up the crate and we walk to Jin’s car. Just about as soon as we get into the car, Airi lets out an even more pitiful mew that makes my heart feel like it’s shattering. I coo softly to her and scratch her cheeks as she presses against the metal gate holding her in the cage. “It’s okay baby. We’ll be home soon, okay?”

Airi meows sadly and nuzzles my fingers. And then she bites them, almost as if she knows that I can open the cage but am not. So now she hates me. Which breaks my heart even more. “I’m sorry baby.” I coo softly, ignoring the pain in my finger as she continues to gnaw on my hand.

Jin pull into the driveway and I carefully pull my hand away from the angry kitten. My love shoots me a worried look, and I smile, hopefully convincing, before getting out of the car and holding the crate carefully. He gets out as well and we walk up to the door. It opens quickly and two balls of fur come towards me. I smile warmly as the two babies nuzzle my legs.

Jin and I walk through the door to the couch, and I set the crate down before opening it. Airi doesn’t seem to trust me at the moment, causing me to bite my lip hard before scooting and looking at Jin. “Can you get her out? I’m going to get food.”

He nods and I stand up, walking to the kitchen. When I turn back, the kitten is curled in Jin’s arms, and his smile is so warm and beautiful. My heart hurts a bit, almost jealous. _You’re jealous of a fucking kitten. Grow up._ I huff to myself before walking into the kitchen, Sarah having left as soon as we came back.

I work quietly, making up some grilled cheese. Once I’m done with that I set them on some plates, feeding the two older kitties and looking at the food in the bag the lady gave us. My lips turn to a frown at the formula stuff in there along with some dry food. _She should be off formula… Unless she was the runt… Then she’ll need it to grow. Well. Alright._ I heat up the formula until it’s a comfortable temperature and then walk into the living room.

Jin is still holding Airi, well technically she’s curled up against his shoulder as he’s petting her. Another pang of jealousy hits my chest at how happy he looks with the small baby. _Calm down. It’s fine._

I walk over and set the plates down before looking at Jin. “She seems to really like you.” I say softly.

He smiles at me, brightly, almost like a small child. “Seems so.”

I laugh a bit. “Uh. Can you feed her?” I hold up the bottle. “I wouldn’t want to separate her from her father.” My voice is teasing.

Jin chuckles and takes the bottle, shifting the kitten so she’s cradled in the crook of his arm and feeding her. I sit down, a little bit away from him, not wanting to crowd him as I eat the meal I prepared. 

A few silent minutes go by before all the food is done. Airi is standing in Jin’s lap, clawing at his shirt. She seems to think it’s a toy of sorts.

I get up to gather everything and take the dishes to the kitchen, quietly washing them and then coming back out to the living room.

Jin is shirtless.

_W-Why..? Not that I’m complaining, but why…?_

I rip my gaze from my boyfriend’s chest, cheeks flushed a bit pink before spotting the shirt in the floor with Airi pouncing on it. My gaze goes back to Jin who catches the gaze. A grin spreads across his face. “What? She seemed to like it.”

My hands rest on my hips, and laugh. “Should I be worried and jealous that you’re getting half naked for another woman. Technically.” I purse my lips and narrow my eyes in thought. “Though if she’s a kitten it would be a girl and that makes it seem like you’re a pedophile. That’s not what I was trynna say, was trying to make a joke, but I guess I fucked up by thinking too much.” I laugh a bit, scratching the back of my head. “Oops.”

_Aaannnnnd this is why a lot of people hate you. You annoying cunt! Good job! Nice work! Fucking again again. And he’ll be gonnneeeee and free from youuuuuu!_

Jin chuckles softly and pats the couch beside him. I weave around the books and sit down, curling up a bit so my feet were off the floor and away from the kitten who might decide to just attack them. I lean my head against his shoulder, wrapping my arms around his arm, one of my hands sliding into his. Our hands immediately clasp together.

We both watch Airi play with Jin’s shirt, until I get a bit bored with it. So instead, I start trailing my free hand up his arm and tracing over the scars. My touch is light, my gaze following my fingers, focusing in the marred skin.

It had to have hurt worse for him than it does for me to see them and know that a dead asshole did this to him. I will never know the pain or even be able to imagine it.

My eyebrows furrow together as I reach his shoulder. I shift a bit, nudging him forward a little bit, sliding in the space behind him. My hand reluctantly lets go of his in this process, as I carefully use both hands to races along the scars on his back. I press gentle kisses against his shoulder as my hands easily find the hurt areas of skin. Once I’ve traced each of his scars on his back, my hands wrap around his waist and I proceed with the gentle tracing across his torso and then his other arm, my lips still pressed against his shoulder, eyes following my hands as best as I could. I’m trying to memorize the placement of every single scar on his body, I don’t know why, I just feel the need to. 

When I finally stop, my hands wrapped around his waist, I actually look at his face. His cheeks are pink. I smile warmly and press a kiss to the scar on his cheek, reaching up with a hand to trace the one on his lips. My hand settles back to its prior position and I rest my chin on his shoulder. My eyes rest on Airi, who’s still playing with Jin’s shirt. “You know, she’s probably going to rip holes in that. If she hasn’t already.” I say, my voice soft, relaxed.

"I..." He coughs awkwardly into his arm. "I have more. She can break it."

 

“Awww.” I say, tightening my arms around him a bit, just to hug him and pull him closer to me. “Can she break all of your shirts?” My tone is joking, a smile playing across my lips. “I prefer my macho man without a shirt on.”

"Your ‘macho man’ would rather people didn't start pointing at him and asking weird questions. Seriously, I learned pretty quickly people don't like scars."

I bite my lip hard and let out a small breath. “Yeah. Sorry. I was kidding, because I knew you wouldn’t be comfortable. Stupid thing to joke about. Sorry sorry.” My voice is soft, and i loosen my grip on him.

 _Oh yeah, make fucking jokes about him going around shirtless. Bitch. Really?! That’s the stupidest fucking thing you could fucking do! Moron! What the fuck?!_ I move so I’m sitting beside him again and chew my lip.

He pulls an arm over my shoulders and brings me against his chest. "You going anywhere, babe?"

I raise an eyebrow, looking at him. “No. Was just trynna make sure you were comfortable was all. Didn’t figure you were.” A small smile comes across my lips. “That’s all.”

"Half naked near you? I don't have a problem with that." He winks at me. "If anything, the opposite."

My eyes narrow and I frown at him. “What exactly do you mean by that, my love?”

"You tell me. You're the one that was passing hands over me like a blind guy with a book in Braille."

I snort unattractively and shake my head a bit. “True true. But I was just trying to make you flustered.”

He sighs. "What's with you and trying to make me flustered?"

“You’re fucking adorable when you’re flustered. Your cheeks get pink and it’s the cutest thing.” I reach up and gently pat one of his cheeks. “I mean, you’re fucking adorable all the time, but it’s just. I love it a lot to see you get flustered… maybe that’s weird.”

He pouts. "I'm not cute!"

I smile brightly. “Yeah you are!”

"No I'm not. I look like an edgy anime fantasy. How is that cute?"

I laugh. “Perhaps. But you still look cute, my love. You look so cute. Oh so cute. Definitely the cute one, the beautiful one, the hot one, etcetera. All that fun stuff. So you are definitely all that stuff.”

Jin’s face blooms into a beautiful pink color and I smile brightly. “F-Fuck off.” He says, looking away from me.

“Oh, but it’s no fun to fuck off by myself.” I pout, keeping my eyes on him.

My boyfriend looks at me and opens his mouth to say something, but Airi climbs into his lap and steals his attention away before he can say anything. With a small sigh, I scoot away from them, curled up against the side of the couch. I pluck a book off the nearby stack and pop it open, balanced on my thighs, before starting to read. My fingers find a familiar place on the paper and on my cheek and lips as my eyes scan the pages.

\---

Jin rises the kitten over his head.

_Wait... Are we doing...?_

Mindful of his girlfriend's presence, and the cats watching curiously the new feline member of the family, he keeps his thoughts in his mind. "Yep."

He can feel his ghostly companion growing excited. _Oooh, yes. OOOOOOOOOH YES._

"One."

 _Two_.

"Three/ _Three_."

And a familiar majestic music starts sounding in his head as he scoops the tiny little adorable snowflake up above his head. The kitten's eyes looking at him curious and warmly trustful.

"What are you doing?"

And the illusion is broken by an _annoyingly intruding_ , no, lovely if a bit miss-timed voice.

He lowers the kitten to his lap, where it immediately starts rubbing against his abdominals. Oh, that tickles. And feels warm. It's so nice.

 _AAAAAWWWWW. YOU LOVE YOUR CAT-DAUGHTER SO MUCH_.

"Shut the fuck up you weirdo."

He looks to the side to spot Kat observing him over a book with a curious glare. The cats, on the ground besides her, keep staring at Airi. Mmm... There seems to be some kind of protective urges on those looks...

Oh, right, the question. He shrugs. "Doing the Lion King thing."

Kat blinks. "What?"

He rises up the kitty again, her meowing happily and probably thinking it's some kind of game. The looks of the cats speak clear. If looks could kill... He looks at Kat again. "The mountain scene."

She blinks again before blushing a bit and snorting. "Pffffttt. You're so cute."

_Compliments. I think this one really likes you!_

"I know that!"

_Sure you do. All those warm sweet feelings inside of you. Oh goodness gracious, are you actually feeling genuinely happy? My Lord, you are actually growing out of your emo phase!_

"Every word you have spoken just made me violently angry."

 _Liar. You are still happy_.

"Fuck off."

But he had to admit... He was happier than what he had been in years. When was the last time he felt...?

Oh. Right. With... Them.

He brings the kitty back to his lap, a sudden weight falling over him. Airi looks at his eyes and he looks back.

How did this happen?

He went into a dumb date, hopping to either annoy or have sex with a dumb girl. And instead he starts off a relationship absurdly fast and starts getting attached and... He had been very careful. So careful. The only people he had grown to care about had been his family (his wonderful adoptive family), his boss and a good friend. And now there was all this people... It had been so fast and... And now he had a cat on his hands he could only think of as his pet. And someone besides him that mattered way more than anyone had ever mattered to him.

How had this happened...?

The kitty meows softly with a hint of worry. He blinks as a hand cups his cheek gently.

A worried but gentle voice sounds. "Jin? Is anything wrong?"

He looks at Kat's worried expression feeling a bit lost. "What?"

"You're crying..."

What...?

He brings a hand to his cheek. When he retires it his fingers are wet.

"Huh..." When was the last time he cried...?

"Jin?"

Kat is besides him. Airi is on his lap, nuzzling against him. The other two cats have hopped onto the sofa besides him.

It's... So warm...

Why is it so warm inside...?

His companion's voice sounds soft and quiet. _You know the answer to that_.

Yeah. He has felt this before. This feeling is...

Is home.

He smiles at Kat. "Sorry. Wa-Was just thinking about you and everything and... I-I am not u-used to being this ha-happy."

He sees Kat's eyes watering too and she hugs him tightly. "Oh honey..."

He hugs her back.

Yeah, this... This is home. This is where his heart is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uuuummm. Comments and kudos guys and girls or non gendered people.
> 
> That's all I have. I'm very tired while also hyped up on sugar. ~Taba.


	21. We are back! With suffering!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ouch. My heart. ~Taba.
> 
> After a long long looooong pause, we are back. Tho we don't have many readers, I'm happy to announce that we bring you back our shit! And we are happy to be back! ~Faggot.

Dresden’s funeral went by rather quickly, it didn’t even feel like a day. I don’t remember anything, it seemed like a second that we were there and then it was the next day.

I had ended up staying over at Jin’s house because he decided I needed love and cuddles which is exactly what he gave me. Which led me to cry into his shirt for a good portion of the night. Tears that I hadn’t cried yet…

Even though throughout the speech I was giving I was crying. Apparently I had plenty of tears left, which makes sense because I am a crier.

Anyways.

It’s the next day. I’m just kind of hanging out at Jin’s house, waiting for him to get home. He left for police business a few hours ago, don’t know when he’ll be back. Could be in a second or perhaps late tonight or even a day or so away. It makes me sad to be alone but he has an actual job, not me, who just draws and sells stuff online…

Though it seems a lot of people have stopped buying stuff recently, probably because they’re using their money to get Christmas gifts or holiday gifts, depending on how they are as people.

It’s a bit hard to get by, I haven’t been getting as much fun stuff but at least I’m paying bills and such, thanks to a few people getting some stuff.

Speaking of which, I have someone who recently bought a shit ton of stuff so I should probably get to packaging it all up.

I get up off the couch, grabbing the carrier for the little kitten so she isn’t alone in Jin’s house. While doing so, I accidentally knock over a stack of papers on the coffee table. I set the carrier on the couch, Airi climbing into her small prison and curling up in there. My eyes go to the papers and I start to gather them and set them back in the stack when one catches my eye. It’s a police report.

I frown a bit as I scan over it. My mind screams at me because I’m invading his privacy so I go to set the paper down when a picture catches my eye as well. It’s a note, I can’t really read it since it’s a photograph of it, but that’s… definitely the table I’m standing right beside. There’s no way it couldn’t be… I see some books in the corner of it and my heart feels like it stops. Even when I squint at the photograph I can’t read what’s written there but I look over at the report. 

_The suspect has sent a threatening note, pictured to the left, to an investigator that matches previous descriptions of victims. Said investigator has refused official protection albeit the officer in charge expresses belief that they can fend for themselves._

My heart stops again and I scan the paper further for the suspect's name. “Julius Civeron…” I mutter. “Why does that sound familiar…?”

My phone pings and I pull it out, looking at the order that I just got. From…

_Julius Civeron._

I set the paper back where it was and stack everything else up neatly. I grab a pen and a piece of paper, quickly writing a note to Jin.

_Hey love. I had to go deliver some stuff for some customers. I’ll probably be at my house when you get back. If you’re feeling up to it when you come home you can come over. I love you. -Kat_

I set it down on the table with the spare key I got made for him the other day setting on top of it. I get Airi and go to my car, getting into it and driving home.

When I get home I let Airi get out before going up to my art room and looking at the order again. “It would be smarter to hand deliver this… he’s close enough that it would just cost more to ship it.” My hands shake a bit. “But Jin’s going to get pissed at me if I go to a murderer’s house… Well, at least I have the excuse that I’m just going there to give him some packages… and also see if he’s a real threat to Jin… not that anyone really is but… I’ll just check it out!” I nod to myself and start to find each of the drawings.

Carefully I package each one up, making sure that nothing is bent and everything is perfect. He seemed to have ordered a lot. Mostly paintings and some ceramic pieces that I had laying around. I gather everything up and set it on my desk, and before I know it I’m done.

I get everything out of the art room, down the stairs, out the door, and into my car in a matter of a few minutes. I double check the address and plug it into my GPS, and start to drive.

As I drive the panic begins to rise. Hopefully I don’t get there and there’s already police taking him away… Or they don’t come there and Jin finds out that I went there… I mean if he goes into the house he’ll see my art but he can’t blame me for selling my art to people. I don’t know who is serial killers and who isn’t.

I’m driving through one of the nicest neighborhoods in town. It’s not where the richest of the rich live just some place normal and nice. Makes me think that it’s probably not the same person. I park in front of his house, letting out a sigh.

I get out of the car, pushing my hair behind my ear and picking up the packages. I easily carry them, walking up to his front door through the driveway, not wanting to step all over his very well maintained lawn. 

His house seems to be two stories, with an attached garage. It looks very symmetrical and perfect. Unlike the rest of the houses, the outside is a tan color.

I knock on the door and I hear some shuffling behind it before a lock clicks. The door opens and an old man appears behind it. He smiles at me and I notice the wrinkles around his mouth from smiling. His hair is grey and he is dressed like Alexander almost. Elegant and sophisticated.

“Good afternoon, sir.” I say with a smile.

“A good afternoon to you too, miss. Though I do quite appreciate such a pleasant delivery, may I inquire as to the reason why I'm getting this ornaments from you and not my usual mailman? Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Oh dear, I hope I didn't come off as rude." He seems a bit flustered.

I laugh a bit and shift my weight. “Ah, no. No you weren’t being rude. No worries.” I hold the packages on my hip and with one arm. “It was much more cost effective to deliver these packages myself since you just so happen to live about twenty minutes away from me. Would’ve cost much more to ship these then the cost of gas.” I offer him one of my hands. “So, I’m Kat.”

"Oh!" He smiles sweetly and takes my hand. "It is such a great pleasure to meet you, dear!" His leaves a hint of embarrassment. "Oh dear, I must seem like a silly old man, but I do admire your work enormously! Oh, you shouldn't have bothered! Here, let me take that." I offer him the packages, which he holds easily. Mmm... He may be old but he doesn't seem precisely week. "Where are my manners? Please, do come in. The least I can do is offer you a cup of tea." He steps to the side with the friendliest of grandpa's smiles.

My hands go into my pockets of my hoodie and I smile warmly at him. “That sounds lovely, sir.” I hesitate a second before stepping inside his house, figuring this can’t be the same man that was trying to hurt Jin.

He closes the door and hurries off to make tea, setting the packages on the table for later. My eyes wander around his house.

Nothing is white. His floor is wood and a dark umber color, the walls all sorts of colors. It’s kind of crazy but I can accept it. I walk around a bit and notice a staircase. Two stories then.

_Okay. Imma stay here for a cup of tea and the leave. By then I should be able to deduce if he’s lethal to Jin or even the same man._

Julius comes back with a tray of tea and sets it on the coffee table beside the packages, smiling warmly at me. I walk over and settle down in the chair across from him. He gives me a cup and I take it, sipping the hot water. “Thank you, sir.” I say with a smile. “Your home is beautiful.”

"Oh, you fill this old man's heart with pride!" I can't help but smile at his belly-full laugh. "I appreciate it. I'm quite proud of my home, to be quite honest."

I let out a soft laugh as well. “It’s very colorful. Seems like a fun place to live.” My smile grows wider and I sip my tea. “Makes me want to go paint all the walls in my house colorful.”

"As it's natural of a great artist! To look for constant change, I mean. I'm sure you'll do a magnificent job." He frowns slightly. "The designer of this house had, however, not such good taste as mine, I fear. Leaving the walls bare and white. What a waste."

“I don’t like to think of it as a waste. I like to think of it as potential.” I smile down at the tea cup. “Much like how all canvases and pages of paper start out as while. It’s blank, perfect for making a masterpiece on.” I look up at the old man and almost flinch at how bright his eyes are. They’re like a fucking cat’s green eyes. Vibrant, and almost like fire… but green. So fire when you burn boric acid.

"Young lady, while it is true that all canvas are the same in the beginning, I disagree with you. Paint is a component put OVER" He remarks the last word a bit too strongly for my liking "the white space. Frankly, I do not see it as using something that is already there as eliminating a mistake and putting something better in its place." He smiles again at me, the same sweet elder smile... But this time it somehow makes me uncomfortable. "That's why I admire you artists so much. You fix mistakes."

 

“Mistakes…?” I ask quietly. “No offense meant by this sir, but something that is white or any other color and was created that way shouldn’t be classified as a mistake. It didn’t chose to be that color, it just is. It’s not a mistake, it’s really beautiful in it’s own way.” I’m starting to think that I need to leave soon before I dig myself into a hole. “But that’s just my opinion, of course. And you have yours. I don’t think either of us are right but neither of us are wrong either.” I smile at him and set my empty cup down. “I do enjoy seeing another perspective, however.”

He tilts his head slightly. "That is... Quite a curious topic you've chosen. I have only mentioned the state of a canvas as white, as a metaphor for it being empty. Yet, you have taken my words... Quite literally it seems." Keep calm. Keep fucking calm. I almost jump when he let's out a little and warm smile. "Pardon me. I must seem like thinking too much of such a thing. I do apologise for my unclarity. I simply used a white canvas as an expression of emptiness, not particularly criticising the colour. I do however find that it often tends to break the symmetry that other colours can build. And it does seem to almost always send a feeling of... Well, said emptiness and lack of symmetry." He sighs. "Really, a shame so many artists make such underhanded work of their canvas and draw diminutely on them. It's jarring to see them so empty."

“Oh, no, I apologize, sir. Often times I can go to different topics without even realizing it. Or starting thinking one thing and it just comes out of my mouth.” I nervously laugh and scratch the back of my head. “I apologize profusely for my stupidity. I’ve been trying to get better at not just spouting nonsense when it doesn’t pertain to the topic at hand.” I smile sheepishly at him even though I want nothing more than to sprint away from this old man. “Ah, I believe I may have overstayed my welcome here. Plus I do need to get home and probably draw some more.” I settle my hands on the side of the chair so I can push myself up. “Thank you for the tea, and it was lovely meeting you.”

"Of course." He matches my smile with a gentle one. "But before that, I do have some works in my house I would appreciate an artist such as yourself giving your opinion of."

My hands grip the sides of the chair tighter and I force to keep the smile on my face. "Of course, I'd be happy to."

I get up and follow the old man out of the living room. An uneasy filling clawing on my back. He's a nice grandpa, right? Just with... Some curiously strong opinions about colours... Really, there is no need to be scared. The paper said "suspect", so it doesn't mean he has to... Tho with those things he said about white... No. It could be a funny coincidence. Really, I'll laugh about this later while Jin makes gun of me for thinking such a nice man was a murderer. He's smart and he doesn't give two shits. If this man was a danger to anyone, he would have made sure that he can't hurt anyone, on going investigations be damned. Right? Yeah...

Right...?

We come to a stop in front of a big picture. The hall is thin enough that only one person can go at a time. The old man made a polite gesture for me to go first, so he's blocking... He's on the way we came in.

If I have to run, I can only go deeper into the unknown...

That... That's such a random thought. It's gonna be okay. I'm going to go back the way I came from. I'll be alright. I'm going to be fine.

Then why am I hiding my shaking hands in my pockets...?

"Well, what do you think, miss?" The kind aged voice wakes me up. Yeah, right, art. I agreed to this.

The picture in front of me is beautifully done. It's a big Victorian state with people walking in front of it, painted with detail and care, each person having noticeable features on their faces that differ from each other, you can see the marks of use on the clothes and the house shows the magnificence that only an old building for the rich and powerful can show. It's a beautiful work.

Yet, something is jarring. You could only see it if you knew what you were looking for.

There is no white.

The clouds are soft tones of Gray. The reflections and lights have always some colour in them. Even the eyes are completely coloured, the distance making it so none of the white in them can be seen.

And knowing that. Knowing that absence. Knowing what he, because I'm sure this is his work, has taken out... This picture takes a new meaning.

Maybe... Just maybe... This is suppoused to be a perfect world. With no nothingness. No white. No wasted space.

And knowing that... Even if it may not be true... Makes me look at such a picture, such a beautiful picture...

And feel fear.

I feel like the air around me is ice and the green eyes fixed in me are melting it. And me with it. I don't want to be here. I want to be home with my cats and my brother and my boyfriend and my friends and everyone that cares about me.

And for the first time, I think it loud and clear. An echo of a long held thought by now.

I'm not going to ever leave this house, am I?

"Miss?" Again, a kind voice wakes me up.

Right... Right... Opinion.

"Uh, sorry. I was..." Thinking about how you're a murderer. "Enraptured by this picture."

He smiles. "I take you like it, then?"

"Oh... Yeah! The details and the color composition are amazing."

His smile widens. Like a shark before eating his prey. Teeth. "You flatter me, miss. Oh, right, I forgot. This work was humbly done by me." No no no... "You could say it's my ideal place. Such beauty..." No no no no no no... Why did you say that? Why did you say that?!

"I-I..." Keep going. You need to keep going. Walk. Talk. "I-It's very pretty."

He laughs. Hyenas laugh. And eat corpses. "Not enough to leave a talented artist without a word, but you appear to differ."

We move on to the next. I walk. I want to run. I talk. I want to scream.

I live. For now.

I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die. I don't want to die.

Each and every picture is similar to the first. Detailed, coloured and beautiful.

Each one I see I'm more scared. My hands are shaking badly in my pockets. I have even bitten my lip a few times. 

I don't want to die.

I keep my fear to myself. Pretend that everything is alright. Smile and laugh and compliment his work. And each second makes me sick in the stomach.

I don't want to die.

His eyes don't move off me. Like a hunter stalking his prey, he doesn't lose sight of me. He waits for the moment I make a move. So I keep going. I keep lying under those eyes whose owner's smile never reaches.

I don't want to die.

So I keep going. I don't know what's going to happen. But I don't want to die.

I keep telling myself that this is why I'm here. To check if this guy is dangerous. Only now the big joke hits. If I wasn't so scared, I would laugh.

Like always, I'm a stupid piece of shit. What's the best way to catch a killer?

You give him a victim, an opportunity and a reason.

And I'm all three.

We reach the end of the hall. A wider are extends ahead of us. An area I don't know. An area surrounded in darkness. The curtains must be down over here.

I know where the door is. And I can make the stairs I saw earlier here. I can run. I can make it.

But I keep quiet and don't try anything. Walk. Talk. Live. That's our game. I'll play. Please, I'll play.

This last image is different than the others. The others were sceneries creamed with colour and light. This one isn't a haunting beauty due to an absence like the others. This is genuinely disturbing.

An aged African man. His skin, dark as coal, barely hangs on his rakitic old bones. For all clothing a singular piece of dirty cloth, covering his privates. His bones and arms are pathetic branches of a fallen dying tree, for how thin they are. This man is pure bone and nerve. But the horrifying frame is nothing compared to his face.

Whichever his features once were, they are no more. Instead, a skull barely held back by a dying mask is all that remains. More bone than man remained, leaving him with sharp forms. The cheeks seemed to be inwards instead of outwards and you could almost see the sockets around his eyes.

And he was ill. Eruptions spaced around his body, some bleeding and letting puss out. His lips were eight times bigger than normal of how swollen they were with obvious infections. But the worst were the eyes. Completely taken over by a disgusting yellow, a disgusting substance oozed over their edge.

His heart may have been beating, but that man died long ago. Nobody could live with such pain.

"This one, I can't claim true ownership over. Albeit I did hold the camera, this is none but a photography." His eyes are off me. Those green flames stuck on the image as if an old friend he hasn't seen in a long time. He's not looking. Run. Run out of here. Every atom in my body is telling me to run.

But I don't. I remain. I stay. I'm not brave. I don't want to die. I'm scared he'll catch me.

So I stay. And I wait. And I fear the worst.

I don't want to die.

"It has been a long time, but... It somehow feels like yesterday. During my stay at Chimbacu Village, in the depths of Africa. I was allowed to photograph this man. His name can be roughly transcribed as "He Who Is Always Dying". I managed to acquire a handful of information about him. When I questioned how long had he been in such a terrible state, I found out that nobody knee. According to the villagers, the fathers of the fathers of the fathers of those who I talked to claimed that he was already old when they had first seen him. Nobody knew how long had he been there. Always sitting on the same spot, not moving an inch. He carried so many diseases that anybody who had ever touched him hadn't survived farther than a week, yet they left give food and water from a safe distance. I was allowed to make that photo from well twenty metres, the villagers claiming that even going farther than that was dangerous. Despite his condition, the villagers thought of him as a saint of shorts. They claimed he had been sent from above to experience mortal suffering, and gain further understanding of the human condition. And they claimed that, sometimes, extremely rarely, he spoke. According to them, he had once warned them of the coming of dangerous men and given advice to various people. So, I waited. I spent three days camped on that spot. I refused rest, food, water and sleep. I spent three days waiting for him to speak. And in the dawn of my last day, when I was on the verge of giving up... I heard him." He makes a pause at this. I don't know why he is telling me this, but I feel like it's important. So I listen. "With a voice filled with only regret and pain, he whispered onto the wind. And I understood. I understood what pain plagued him. I understood what tainted the existence of this holy man and what tainted our world. I saw the truth. Like a prophet, I heard my revelation." His eyes go to me again. They are... Different. There is something in there. Someone. Someone is banging against the windows that are his eyes. The windows of a prison. Screaming to be let out. “He spoke: 'White... I only see white…’l

All my fears and doubts converge in a single point, like a laser, leaving a burning message in my brain. I need to get out of here.

I take a single steps backwards, facing him. Small. Very small. Too small.

Like a deer in front of a car, I froze at the sight of his scolding. Then the light goes out of his eyes. And something cold comes in. Whatever was prisoner behind those eyes it's free.

Looking at the picture again, he sighs. I stay in place, the memory of that look keeping me too cold to move. To scream. Even to shake.

"It's truly sad. You looked so beautifully symmetric and colourful... And so young. If I had ever had a granddaughter, I would have want her to be like you." His voice carries true regret and sadness. But I understand that someone that feels so cold isn't going to stop because of that.

It happens fast.

His gaze returns to me, a calm and unreadable expression on his face. He takes a step towards me. And my cheek flares with pain as he backhands me.

I fall into the ground, and my vision becomes a blur, my glasses falling off to the sidesomewhere. By some kind of miracle, when my head bangs against it, it doesn't break apart. Instead I end up dizzy and confused.

I feel two weights on my arm. And then hands painfully on my throat. It hurts. I gasp desperately looking for the air that doesn't come. I keep trying until I realize I’m hyperventilating. Or trying to. It’s making me lose oxygen faster than if I was normally breathing. _nononononononononononono!_ I try to do something. Anything. But I can't. My body starts to shake and I realize he didn’t keep my legs down.

He hushes at my attempts of resistance. "Shhh... Ssshhhhh.... It's okay... It's okay... You will be beautiful forever... It's okay... Everything is going to be o-"

He shuts up with a grunt when my knee finds his crotch. His eyes widen and he let's out a shaky breath, followed by falling to the side.

I gasp as air painfully passes through my throat. I move too fast and everything spins. The world is upside down. I crawl towards the door, until something grabs my ankle. Without thinking I kick with my other leg as hard as I can. Something cracks as a scream sounds. My ankle is free.

I don't go far until I feel someone looming over me from behind. I turn to the side as something slams where I was earlier. He screams of frustration. _A rabbit. I’m a fucking rabbit. I can dodge my predator and hide until he leaves. Until something else distracts him! Think think think!_ My eyes and blurry vision find the stairs and movements quicken as I go towards them.

I grab the first step of the stairs and use it to pull myself on my feet while I run up. The world spins again but I don't fall. I can hear him right behind me.

At the end of the stairs I dare take the quickest peek back. There’s a large looming figure just a few paces behind me. He'll reach me in a few seconds. He has something on his hand. I don't have the time to see what it is before I run onto the first open door I see.

I slam it behind me with a bang. It's a bathroom. With a small window. Too small for me. Noticing that I let out a whimper. _Nononono… There has to be another way. There has to. There has to. There has to. No no no…._

I dig my heels on the ground and hold my back against the door. The first slam almost makes me go flying off it, but my hands hold the door frame and my nails dig into it painfully. I grit my teeth as he keeps hitting against it.

And then it stops. Something else has sounded. It's a voice. Jin...? Please... Is it you...? Please please please get me out of here... Please… I feel myself whimper and I shake even more now.

But I hear a different one... "-drop the hammer and on your knees mister Civeron! Now!"

"This is a terrible misunderstanding. I-I was simply trying to fix this door!" It's strange hearing such a terrifying monster's voice be filled with fear. The other voice shouts something else. It goes silent for a minute. Even behind the door i can feel his tense the air is. "You dare threaten me... You dare threaten me! And a nigger of all people! The only reason I'm not fixing your race like the other mistakes is because there are too many of you! I, a messenger of God! A bringer of a new and beautiful world! I'm being threatened by an inferior species! How dare you?! How dare all of you support this creature?! HOW DARE YOU SUPPORT THIS MISTAKES!"

"LAST WARNING: DROP THE HAMMER!"

"SILENCE! MISTAKES! ALL OF YOU! I WILL FIX IT! I WILL MAKE IT RIGHT! I WILL-"

A thunder resonates against the wall. I cover my ears with a whimper and fall to my knees.

An eternity passes.

I don't move.

I don't move.

The loud noise in my ear subdues.

I don't move.

I can hear a soft knocking on the door.

I don't move.

Words. Sounds like a woman.

I don't-

Jin. She said Jin. My body becomes almost more rigid at the thought of him. He’s going to kill me… 

The woman’s voice becomes clearer.

"-his boss and friend. He has talked to me about you, Kat. Please, can you open the door. I won't do anything, I promise."

Yeah... Jin's boss... Was… Is a policewoman, I think... Maybe… Can I trust her…? I really have no other option...

My hands shake and I continue to clutch my hands to my ears, breath fast and uneven. I don’t know if I can move, I certainly can’t speak. It takes me a few moments and some more coaxing from the woman behind the door before I can turn. I unlock and open the door with shaking hands. In front of me is a woman in her thirties to forties. Red hair, like mine, but she looks... Tougher than me.

"Kat?" I nod. "Can I come in?" I hesitate staring at her eyes behind her glasses, my own vision fogging from mine not being on my face before nodding again. Taking a step back.

She enters the bathroom, adjusting her glasses before glaring at me with a stern expression. "We need to get you out of here." Her voice is soft... "Can you do that?"

I stay put for almost a minute. I probably look like a scared deer in the headlights. My entire body shakes as if I’m ice cold, and my hands grip the counter tightly. Then finally nod slightly. 

She takes off her coat, and puts it around me. I grab the borders and pull it like a mantle and hood over me. This is good. The world feels smaller. Easier to deal with. No giants coming to kill me with a tool… Nobody is going to hurt me. I’m by myself. I’m alone. Nobody else is here. Nobody else.

She guides me with gentle hands on my shoulders. When we reach the stairs, I manage to peek slightly over my shoulder.

I see a black cop kneeling in front of something. On the wall, over him, an splatter of red. My entire body cringes and I have to stop moving. The woman behind me pushes me forward a bit but I can’t move. I can’t I can’t I can’t. I want to scream but my voice isn’t there. Please please. I don’t want to die I don’t want to die!

Arms wrap around me and I feel a scream come out of my throat and my breath starts to go faster and faster and faster. _DON’T TOUCH ME! NO NO NONONONONONONONONONONONO! STOP! DON’T! I’LL BE GOOD PLEASE DON’T TOUCH ME! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! I’LL BE GOOD I PROMISE! PLEASE!_

The woman's voice comes back to me. “Kat! Please. We need to get down the stairs. Please, hun. Can you walk?”

I look up at her, tears pooling in my eyes, making her figure seem even blurrier. “I-I……… th-think so….” My voice is soft and she seems shocked that she heard it.

She doesn’t say anything in return, only helping me down the stairs, not touching me but there if I need her. When we get to the bottom of the stairs another police officer is there, he hands me what I believe are my glasses and I take them, my hands quivering. I set them back on my face, pulling the woman’s coat further around me, as if trying to pretend like I don’t exist.

The red haired woman leads me outside and to I believe my own car, having me sit down and giving me a bottle of water. She shuts the door suddenly and I can hear her and someone familiar speaking loudly outside. I don’t look up in fear of the anger I know will be on his face.

“JIN! SHE IS IN A STATE OF SHOCK RIGHT NOW! IF YOU GO AND SCREAM AT HER RIGHT NOW I DON’T THINK SHE’LL MENTALLY MAKE IT!” The red haired woman yells.

I don’t know why she’s defending my stupid actions. A fist slams down on the roof of the car and I flinch, my hands gripping the bottle tighter, tears coming to my eyes as I hear my boyfriend yell at his boss.

"Paula..." He sounds like a caged lion, lashing at the walls of his cage. "Look, just... I need to talk to her."

"Kid, I know you. You're angry. She doesn't need that right now. She's been through a lot. The poor thing just had the worst luck with a client and-"

"LUCK?!" I almost jump at how loud and angry he sounds. "SHE FUCKING SAW THE REPORT AND DECIDED TO COME HERE! SHE DID THIS STUPID FUCKING THING ON HER OWN ACCORD!"

"AND WHY DO YOU THINK SHE DID?! SHE-"

"DON'T YOU DARE TREAT ME LIKE ONE OF YOUR FUCKING KIDS! I KNOW WHY SHE CAME HERE! I KNOW IT'S MY FUCKING FAULT! I'M... I need to see her. Please, get out of my way." His voice goes back to a contained rage.

_He hates you… you know that right? He hates you a lot. There’s no way he could love you after this. Even if you were just thinking it would help. How could you help…?_

"What for? To scream at her?"

"Yes! To fucking scream at her! And make sure she never does something this fucking stupid again! And now, GET OUT OF MY FUCKING WAY!"

"You're going to have to move me to do that, kid."

"I... I'm not going to hit you... Just... Please, move."

"What, don't have the balls to try me? You mustn't care about seeing her that much then."

"...Don't try me. I'm not in the fucking mood, Paula. Do you really think I'm going to feel better if I hit you?!"

"Who knows. All I know is that you aren't showing much of care for your supposed girlfriend right now, kid. So, are you going to prove me wrong or not? Because you ain't getting to her otherwise. C'mon, try your luck."

"JUST FUCKING MOVE!"

I can’t take the idea of Paula, what a lovely name for someone who seems just as lovely, taking on the brute force of Jin’s anger right now, for me…. so I set the water bottle down and open the car door. Both of them turn towards me but I look at Paula first. She looks concerned and I try to smile but by her face turning even more concerned I doubt it was convincing. “Thank you…” I say quietly, my voice is even but it’s probably more scary to see how calm I forced myself to be at this moment then if I was panicked. “For helping me, ma’am… I’m sorry I happened to… be here…” I don’t let the truth come out to her since I don’t know her but I know I’ll have to tell Jin… I want to tell Jin… I don’t know if I can. “But… thank you…”

She smiles a bit at me and helps me up when she sees me struggling a bit. I hand her her coat and the water bottle that I hadn’t opened. She nods at me and I turn to Jin. His usually calm sapphire eyes are blazing. But I can tell he’s worried. I can tell he was crying. I can tell I…

I ruined something…

My heart clenches and with careful steps I walk closer to him. He takes a step back from me, making my heart feel like it’s been stabbed. But I wonder if it’s so he doesn’t hit me. My voice is soft when I say, “You can hit me. You can scream at me. You can do whatever you need to me to get this out… Please… I’m sorry, fuck I’m sorry. I… I wasn’t thinking… and…” My voice cracks as his fist flies and hits the car right beside my head.

My breath hitches and I start to shake but his voice sounds like a lost puppy. His teeth are clenched and with him this close I can see that he’s really been crying. There are tear stains running down his face. The anger I thought was in his eyes seems like sadness and worry. I hurt him so badly… What was I thinking…?

“What were you thinking…?” His voice is weak and hoarse, his words mimicking my thoughts.

My hands clench onto my shirt and my voice breaks as the dam that’s been welling up in my eyes breaks as well. “I-I-I’m sorry!” I cry out, louder that I’ve spoken this entire day. “I-I-I wasn’t thinking! I-I wa-was sca-scared!” My legs feel weak and I fall down to my knees, hands covering my face and my head almost touching the ground. “I-I’m sorry… I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’m sorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorry!” My hands slide from my face to my hair and I feel myself shake. “I-I-I was being fucking retarded. I-I got scared, th-that he wa-was going to hu-hurt you! I-I-I kno-knocked over th-the pape-papers on th-the coff-coffee table… a-an-and saw the re-report… i’m sorry… imm sorry… H-He bou-bought st-stuff a-a-and…I-I ju-just deci-decided to se-see if h-he wa-was a thr-threat…. I-I-I’m sorry! I-It wa-was stu-stupid… I’m st-stupid!” My nails dig into my scalp as fresh tears flow down my face and onto the grass. “I-I didn’t know… I-I-I was go-going t-to leave… I-I ma-made a st-stupid mi-mistake… i-I’m sorry… I-I… I-I-I-I-I’m fucking stupid…” my heart hurts and I don’t hear him speaking, I barely hear my own voice over the screams in my head. _HE HATES YOU! HOW COULD YOU DO THAT?! HE HATES YOU! YOU FUCKING MORON! YOU SHOULD’VE DIED! YOU SHOULD’VE FUCKIG DIED! HE HATES YOU NOW! WHO COULD EVER LOVE YOU?_ “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I keep repeating those words as a mantra, while curled up in a ball in front of someone who I love with all my heart. “I… can’t apologize… enough…” My breath shakes… no my entire body is shaking. Too much emotions. Too much feeling. Too much. Too much. The world’s too big. _Nononononono… He’s gonna get me… I have to hide from him! Banging on the door… crash. Crash. Crash… nonononono… please please. I’ll be good. Don’t leave me. Please. I’ll be good I’ll be good. I’ll be good, I promise…_ I can’t breath. There’s so much air but I can’t breath. He hates me he hates me. No. Please. I promise I’ll be good! Don’t hate me! I promise I’ll be who you want me to be! Please! Please. I promise! I promise…

There’s a hand on my back that I don’t flinch away from. How could I…? It’s the same hand that holds me like I’m a goddess. An angel. Someone special. I couldn’t ever… ever… be scared of that hand. Or the person the hand belongs to. I’m not scared of him. I’m scared that I fucked everything up…

My head lifts and my hands move to rub my nose. His eyes are still fiery but there’s… more worry than anger there. His other hand settles on my face, rubbing the tears away. So gentle… Why why…? I want to scream at him that he shouldn’t love me. I made a mistake. Nobody loves me after I make a mistake.

But he does… I can see it… but there’s so much worry too. That it just… it’s not worth it for him to stay…

Suddenly, I’m up and in Jin’s arms. I wrap my arms around his neck, and his fingers dig into my skin a bit but I don’t care. I don’t. I deserve more pain. I deserve for him to have left me there on the ground. Until I was able to move myself. I don’t deserve this.

A car door unlocks and opens and I’m set inside. The door shuts and I flinch at the noise before the other side opens and Jin sits down, eyes not looking at me, mouth set in a line. His hand grip the steering wheel tightly after he starts the car and such, then he starts to drive. His place, most likely. Less commotion… nobody will know if he hurts me… like I deserve to be hurt for hurting him. But I know he won’t hurt me… even if I deserve it.

My voice cracks when I speak, so hoarse and quiet that I can barely understand myself. “J-Jin… I-I’m… sorry…”

He stays silent for a long while. On a red light, he stops. Then he sighs tiredly and rests his forehead against the wheel. "I know you are. I know. But... Why did you do all of this?" He looks at me again. "Why did you have to risk yourself like this?"

I rub my hands against the fabric of my pants and start to shake again, gripping my knees. “I… I… I was scared…” I look at my lap and my hands trying to keep my legs still, not at him. “Y-You wo-would’ve be-been fine… I-I…” Tears begin to well up again and I press my eyes shut tightly. “I did-didn’t… wan-want to lo-lose y-you…” My heart hurts, throbs, aches.

"I know... I know... But..." He sighs again. "I... I know this is selfish, but... It hurts me that you didn't think of how would I feel if I lost you. That you can just throw yourself at danger in my stead. Kat, I work for the police. I know how to handle myself. I've been dealing this kind of thing for a while. I can do it. So.. I'm angry that you didn't... Didn't think that I couldn't handle losing you..." His voice strains at that last part and he looks at the road again. "I know I'm not being fair with you but I can't help but... I don't want to lose my family again... Why is it so difficult to believe I can handle this kind of thing...?"

My fingers dig into my knees. “I-I… wasn’t thinking…” _Of course you weren’t when do you ever think?_ “I was being stupid. Really stupid…” My voice gains some strength as I start to get pissed off at myself. “Always always stupid.” I laugh and dig my fingers into my knees but I can’t feel the pain because of the placement and the cloth blocking. “Never thinking about others, just thinking about myself. Thinking about how I would feel in a time of panic instead of how others would feel. Good job Kat. You’ve played the role of the idiot perfectly once again.” I’m muttering to myself by the end but I’m sure Jin can still hear me. I lift my head and turn to him smiling, god it’s so gross to smile. “I’m very sorry for being an idiot. A big stupid fucking idiot. Luckily you can kick me out of this moving car and never have to see me again. Wouldn’t that be grand?”

"Can you stop?! I know you've just had an horrible experience but... Can't you just think about how much I care about you? How much it hurts to see, to even think about, you getting hurt? I know how you think about yourself and I know that you have problems but..." He hits the wheel. His voice sounds even more strained. "I want nothing more than to hug you and tell you everything will be okay, but I feel if I do that you're just going to do the same thing the next time! And I can't... I love you. But if you keep treating yourself like garbage, what am I supposed to do? Keep being there to be your support every single time you're down? Start a vicious cycle in which you keep risking yourself and I keep doing nothing but lifting you up when you fall? What if you don't make it out of the fall, Kat? What do I do then?"

My brain stops in it’s thought, the train derailing and being replaced by a new one. “Oh go. No…” I say softly. “No, no. I’m sorry.” I let go of my legs and they start to shake again. “I’m sorry… fuck I’m sorry… please… no. I-I’m not try-trying to sa-say you… you don’t care. I…” My eyebrows furrow deeply and I stop for a second to think about his words. Something else stirs inside me, but not enough to make me realize what it is. “Love, look… I made a fucking terrible decision based on no logic and only fear of losing someone close to me again… We’ve both lost a lot… you a fucking great deal more than I could imagine, and me… I can’t compare but I’m hoping that you maybe can understand why I did it… it was stupid, god it was fucking stupid… but we both know it hurts to lose someone… and I just hope… that even if I made the stupidest fucking decision in my life today… I…” My heart clenches and I shake my head. “I’m sorry… apologizing won’t fix anything… and I… I…” My words fail me since I seem to have no more to give. The only thing that my brain is telling me to do is to apologize forever. “I’m sorry…” I say quietly, looking down at my lap and I press my lips together so I don’t say it again.

Jin has to start driving so he goes back to being silent. My eyes go to the outdoors and my brain goes back to his words. _But if you keep treating yourself like garbage, what am I supposed to do? Keep being there to be your support every single time you're down? Start a vicious cycle in which you keep risking yourself and I keep doing nothing but lifting you up when you fall? What if you don't make it out of the fall, Kat? What do I do then?_

And what is he supposed to do…? Just help me when he’s already so broken? I don’t see how that helps him. I don’t see how I help him. I couldn’t could I?

We talked about his family once and that caused him to get annoyed and feel like he had to pay me back. And that was on the date **I** prepared.

I told him I loved him and threw him into a panic attack…

He made a joke about there being a bomb on our second date and I had a panic attack that made him feel bad.

When have I done anything to make his life better…? His… His life…

It was better without me than with me.

But that would just be him losing someone else in his life… But I don’t know if he’s just staying because he feels like he needs to for me. For me… hah… I’d talk to him about it but he doesn’t seem in the mood to talk… and I wouldn’t want him lying to my face just because it’s me...

I see my house on the distance. End of the ride, I guess. "Kat... I really want to just console you, but..." He sighs once more. He sounds so tired. "I think we both need a night to think." I look at him without understanding. "Each in their own house."

"Oh." My brain tells me my assumptions are correct. Quite correct.

The car stops and I leave my hand on the door. I don't want to go. "Kat." I look at him. He too has a pained expression. "I need to think. Just tonight. Please."

"Sure, lo… Jin.” And suddenly, I feel more alone than what I've been in a long time.

Jin leaves as soon as I exit his car and shut the door. The sound if him speeding off almost makes me puke because I know I’m going to get a text later from him that says he wants nothing to do with me.

Instead of breaking down, I put on a strong face and go into my house.

Nobody is home.

I shut the door, slumping against it, staring at the ceiling. “What did you do…?” I ask myself with a wet laugh. “What the hell did you do…?”

Carelessly, I go up the stairs, almost falling a few times before heading to my room. I pull off my shoes and then all my other clothes, tossing them in the trash, never wanting to wear them again.

My face ends up on a pillow and I guess that’s when I break. My door closed and locked. Three cats in the room with me. As my entire body shakes with sobs and I pull the pillow that Jin would sleep on every so often while he stayed over to my chest. Too bad the scent will fade.

A meow catches my attention and my eyes lock onto a white kitten with bright blue eyes.

And my heart breaks again.

Fresh sobs run down my face as I pull the kitten closer and clutch her to my chest.

Too bad I’ll have to return her to Jin.

It takes a few minutes for me to calm down before I grab a slip of paper from my bedside table and a a pen. In my best handwriting I write a note. In case Logan came home and Jin stopped by tomorrow.

_Logan._

_Hey, um… if Jin comes by please let him know that… he doesn’t have to fake wanting to be around me anymore… I’ll stay away from him as best I can… Since I just am an idiot who can never seem to do anything right for him. Tell him that I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry for existing. Also tell him…_

_Oh. Don’t think he did anything wrong, bro… It was me. Jin can tell you the story if you want it. I made a mistake and that’s all I do. Make mistakes. And I don’t want him to be forced to deal with all my mistakes anymore… Please… Tell him I’m sorry. Eternally. And that if he hates me now, that’s okay. Tell him thank you for being there for me through it so far. And let him know if he wants to punch me in the face or scream at my face then he can…_

_Just make sure he knows this isn’t his fault. He’s… He’s an angel sent from Heaven… But meant for someone else it seems._

_Please don’t bother me… I’ll be fine._

_Love, Katrina._

I slide the note down under the door and then go back to my bed, curling up on it and hug the pillow to my chest.

I don’t sleep.

I just lay there.

I don’t hear anything. I don’t see anything. But I’m not asleep.

And everything hurts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is your heart hurting? Cause MY HEART SURE FUCKING IS! Excuse me. Why did we decide to do this..? Christ.
> 
> Anyways hi! We're here! Not many people read this already but if you have been I... well we apologize for not posting anything for a while! We have a lotta shit planned out for later but we couldn't get this chapter down until the other day! But it's okay, we're here now. Serving up some angst.
> 
> Ah! It may seem like Faggot didn't write much, but let me assure you that he helped a lottt! We have a way of like working and yeah.
> 
> Nobody really cares about this. XD
> 
> Well! Imma go die! Tootles! ~Taba


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